Vanke School of Public Health (VSPH) and the United Nations Children's Fund China Office (UNICEF China) entered a cooperation agreement on April 21st. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marks a new phase of cooperation between the two institutions.
The Founding Dean of VSPH Margaret Chan, and the UNICEF Representative to China Amakobe Sande, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions. Among the attendees were Director of the Child Health and Development Section Ali Shirazi, Chief and Senior Advisor of Public Partnerships Sae-Ryo Kim, Human Resources Manager Clemence Ingabire, Maternal and Child Health Specialist HUANG Xiaona, and Project Officer LIANG Junxiao from UNICEF China. Also attending the signing ceremony were Vice Dean of VSPH WANG Kaibo, Assistant Dean and Director of the Administrative Office YIN Qi, Associate Professor TANG Kun, Assistant Professor CHEN Runsen, Student Affairs manager YUAN Qi Juan, Global Affairs Manager LI Tian, Cooperation Affairs Manager GU Minjie, Communication and Branding Manager HAN Xu, and three student representatives Zhang Tingkai, Li Xuan, and Liu Shan.
Margaret Chan delivered the opening remarks
In her opening remarks, Margaret Chan extended a warm welcome to all participants and provided a brief overview of VSPH's background and achievements in teaching and research. She underscored four key research areas of the school: public health security, climate change and global health, big health and big data, and public health policy and management. Chan elaborated on the solid foundation of cooperation between the two institutions and expressed her expectation that the MOU would foster deeper collaboration in policy influence and research innovation.
Amakobe Sande delivered the speech
Amakobe Sande introduced UNICEF's focus areas in China, highlighting progress made in evaluating South-South cooperation projects. She commended VSPH's strategic approach in the four research fields and stressed the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in addressing global health challenges such as mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and childhood overweight and obesity. Sande expressed high expectations for future cooperation between the two institutions.
Discussion Session
During further discussions, representatives from both sides provided updates on existing cooperation projects and expressed mutual interest in deepening collaboration in talent cultivation, mental health, South-South cooperation, and other areas, with the aim of collectively tackling global health challenges.
Group photo of attendees
Looking ahead, VSPH and UNICEF China are committed to leveraging their professional expertise and resources to integrate talent cultivation, academic research, and practical applications, thereby contributing valuable insights to enhance global health and well-being.
