Recently, the academic exchange program jointly carried out by the School of Public Health of our university and the University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, has successfully concluded. Through means such as two-way visits and in-depth study and research, the program achieved the dual goals of enhancing the capabilities of teachers and students and deepening inter-institutional cooperation.

In January of this year, the team led by Vice Dean Nie Jisheng and Associate Professor Zhang Huifang from the School of Public Health of our university traveled to Italy for a one-week visit and study, while students Wei Jiajun and Wu Linzhu conducted in-depth research and training for two months. Professor Claudia Petrarca from the Italian side coordinated the entire process. During the visit, our team held in-depth discussions with the Italian side on topics such as occupational disease prevention and control, research management, etc., and conducted on-site visits to laboratories and clinical bases. The two students fully participated in the teaching and research practices of the Italian side, and their professional abilities improved significantly.

In mid-April, Professor Petrarca paid a return visit to our university, carried out a 50-day academic exchange, and delivered a keynote report titled "Predictive miRNA profile of exposure and asbestos-related diseases." The report shared cutting-edge research findings on predictive miRNA profiles of asbestos exposure-related diseases, and she provided scientific research and teaching guidance in laboratories and classrooms. Both sides reached a cooperation consensus on future academic exchanges, joint talent cultivation, and other aspects.

This project serves as an important practice for our university to promote international education, establishing a normalized platform for mutual learning between the two universities. The two universities will continue to deepen cooperation in areas such as research breakthroughs, joint construction of teaching practice bases, and faculty-student exchanges, jointly promoting high-quality development in the fields of occupational health and public health.

(Text and photos by Zhang Huifang)