Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences of University of Central Lancashire and East Lancashire

From 23 to 27 July 2017, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences (“The Faculty”) of University of Central Lancashire (“UCLan”) and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (“ELHT”) paid their first visit to China. The UK delegation has visited Government Departments, enterprises and universities in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The UK delegation is the largest UCLan delegation ever over to China in the area of clinical and medicine. There are 8 delegates, 6 out of 8 are from UCLan, who are Dr. Jim Gardner, Head of Work-based learning and Clinical Senior Lecturer, Prof. Robert Forbes, Professor of Clinical Pharmaceutics Thematic Lead Pharmaceutics, Prof. Colin Davidson, Acting Faculty Director of Research and Neuropharmacologist, Dr. Malcolm Edwards, Director of Post graduate Studies of School of Dentistry, Dr. Aengus Kelly, Senior Lecture of School of Dentistry, Nigel Garratt, Head of CPD; Another two delegates are Christine Pearson, Director of Nursing of ELHT and John Bannister, Director of Operation of ELHT, which is under the UK National Healthcare System and one of the UCLan’s strategic partners.

UCLan is one of the UK’s largest universities with a student and staff community approaching nearly 40,000, which has placed in No. 67th in the table of Guardian UK University Rankings and top 3.7% of all worldwide university in the table of Centre for World University Rankings. Within the Faculty, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy and Biomedical are renowned, particularly, School of Dentistry is ranked in No.7th in the whole UK. In September 2015, approved by General Medical Council, the Faculty has established a UK MBBS and qualified to recruit students from Asia, Europe and Americas internationally. ELHT is a large public integrated healthcare organisation providing various services for Lancashire residents, including acute secondary healthcare, cardiopathy treatment services, cancer treatment services and etc.

The UK delegation aims to explore the collaborative opportunities with Chinese partners. The Faculty is developing and improving its Bachelor’s Degrees, Master’s Degrees and PhDs, especially in General Practitioner, Dentistry and Pharmacy as well as Continuing Professional Development for GP, nursing and hospital management. The UK delegation hopes to have a better understanding about the Chinese market needs and promote the degree courses. By running exchange programmes, sharing experts’ experiences and identifying the Sino-UK healthcare cons and pros, the UK delegation also wants to establish a new relationship with Chinese Government, enterprises and universities to help Chinese healthcare system reform, improve primary healthcare services, develop the doctors and nurses professionalism and strengthen the communication of the Sino-UK healthcare.

The Faculty has been set up for a year and been developing at a stable stage with the excellent professor team, outstanding research quality and international commercial vision. The UK delegation has introduced around 10 research projects, looking forward to working with Chinese academics, including Dementia and Neurodegeneration Research, Nature Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s disease, Sports concussion and cognitive decline, Drug abuse, Depression, Behavioural observation, Brain tumour and etc. The UK delegation is seeking Chinese partners, paving out the pathway and facilitating the development of Sino-UK healthcare and medical research.

UCLan Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd is a wholly owned overseas subsidiary of University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston, UK. It aims to help UCLan’sacademicsto establish research and commercial partnerships to promote collaborative research, IP licensing, commercialise UCLan’s technology outcomes and expertise.It also provides faculties support in terms of student exchange programmes, internship opportunities, continuing professional development courses and etc. Externally, it also supports other UK businesses’ development in China.