PESHAWAR: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Faculty of Public Health, Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar and Nanjing Medical University (NMU), China.

The agreement would bring in terms of exchange of masters and PhD level public health students, faculty development, research cooperation and establishment of Chinese centre at KMU, according to a press release.

The MoU was signed by Prof Ziaul Haq, the dean of KMU, and Prof Yankai Xia from NMU.

The team of KMU including Prof Zia, Prof Mohammad Saleem Gandapur, the registrar, Dr Maria Ishaque Khattak, lecturer, and Dr Saiqa Saleem, the medical education scholar, was invited by NMU. The event took place at Nanjing Medical University in Jiangsu province of China.

Addressing the event, Prof Zia said that the MoU obligated them to work collectively and more diligently in the direction of the internationalisation of learning and was aligned with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

Both public health departments will chase many noteworthy activities, such as educational and academic exchange; collaborative research, lectures, symposia and cooperation in projects for mutual interest; positive resourcefulness as scholars, faculty members and researchers exchange to stimulate cross-culture learning methods; investigation of subjects for combined proposals for worldwide funding.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Saleem Gandapur said that the collaboration was another step in the list of initiatives taken by the public health department at KMU.

He said that the significance of academia laid in its capacity to respond to ground realities. “This partnership carries out what academics are experts at (teaching, research, mentoring) and all aspects seem well-covered for the benefit of both sides,” he added.

Prof. Yankai Xia intended to commence collective enterprise in Pakistan starting with a NMU collaborative centre at KMU.

In the concluding remarks of the ceremony, he articulated heartfelt appreciation to everybody whose devotion and hard work had made substantial contribution to the MoU.