Ceremony for new China nursing project
The start of a major construction project to deliver an international-level hospital and nursing college in Jiangsu Province, China, was marked at a ground breaking ceremony held in Nanjing on this week.
The ceremony celebrated the launch of the five-year collaborative partnership agreed between King’s College London’s Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and the Nanjing Health School China in December 2015.
The project will see King’s providing consultancy, education and training to the Nanjing healthcare workforce and to establish a new ‘Nanjing Nightingale Nursing College.’
The pairing of the most distinguished nursing faculty in the UK, working alongside a tripartite relationship of the Nanjing State Government, a brand new hospital and a nursing college will create a model for future research and educational partnership, say the founders.
The contract, worth some £5 million, was part of a £2 billion package of agreements between China and the UK announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s State Visit to the UK last year.
Attendees at the ceremony included the British Ambassador to China, Barbara Woodward, Consul General John Edwards, key representatives from Jiangsu Province’s education, local and regional government organisations, King’s College London’s Dean of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Professor Ian Norman and representatives from King’s China offices. Regional, trade and investment representatives from the British Consulate-General, Shanghai, also attended.
'World-leading education'
Ambassador Woodward said:’ I believe strongly that such partnerships can match the very best of UK expertise with the spirit of ambition and innovation so clearly present here in Nanjing. As many of you may know, Florence Nightingale established the world’s first school of nursing at St Thomas’ Hospital in London in 1860. And it is appropriate that such a pioneering and iconic name now marks the first British project here in this exciting project.’
Standing Committee Member of Communist Party of China, Nanjing, Luo Qun said: ‘Today, we are laying the foundation of the Nanjing Nightingale Nursing College, which I see it as the outcome of a win-win cross-border cooperation that will bring significant impact on accelerating the development of Jiangbei New District and its International Healthcare Community and improving the whole healthcare industry and people’s wellbeing in Nanjing.’
Professor Norman from King’s said: ‘I am delighted to take part in this special ceremony. It marks both the start of construction for this major project, and the start of a journey for King’s and the Nanjing Health School, during which we will work in partnership to develop a world-leading education and training facility for the Nanjing nursing workforce of the future.
It is a real pleasure for me to return to Nanjing and renew connections and friendships with our project partners at the Nanjing Health School. I and my faculty colleagues look forward to working with our Nanjing counterparts to deliver this exciting project.’
The partnership will see King’s work with the Nanjing Health School to deliver a structured programme of consultancy, education and training for the Nanjing healthcare workforce, sharing best practice and providing staff and student exchange opportunities. The project has been supported by UK Trade and Investment, Nanjing Jiangbei Public Work Centre and Nanjing Education Bureau.
King’s Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery is a world leader in education and research and was been ranked 1st in the UK and 6th in the world in the recently released QS World University Subject Ranking (2016 QS rankings).
ENDS