On June 17, an expert delegation from Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC) in the Netherlands visited the First Hospital of Lanzhou University (LZUFH). The delegation was led by Prof. Maikel Peppelenbosch, Head of the Laboratory of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Erasmus MC, and accompanied by Mr. Sergey Konstantinov, CEO of Matriach Life Sciences, and Dr. Su Junhong, a researcher. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. Wang Mingkai, Third-level Section Staff Member of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Gansu Provincial People's Government, and Associate Professor Wang Zifan from Northwest Minzu University. 

    On the morning of the visit, a meeting was held with the delegation, attended by Bai Ming, President of LZUFH; Ji Rui, Vice President; Hou Xiaoming, Vice President; Liu Yatao, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange; Lü Xinghua, Director of the Medical Affairs Office; Wang Yuping, Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Technology; Yao Jia, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange; Guo Qinghong, Director of the Department of Gastroenterology; and Zhu Xiaoliang, Director of the Department of General Surgery. The meeting was chaired by Hou Xiaoming. 

    In his address, Prof. Bai Ming stated that Erasmus MC, as one of the largest and most internationally renowned university medical centers in Europe, integrates top-tier clinical diagnosis and treatment, cutting-edge medical research, internationalized elite medical education, and translation of research outcomes. Many of its research achievements have shaped clinical practice standards in Europe. LZUFH is currently committed to building itself into a high-level research-oriented hospital, continuously improving clinical service capabilities, striving for breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation, and accelerating its international development. He expressed the hope that this meeting would further deepen bilateral cooperation in talent cultivation, research collaboration, academic exchange, and clinical technology translation, establishing a long-term, stable, and mutually beneficial cooperation mechanism to jointly advance medical development. 

    Prof. Peppelenbosch introduced the comprehensive strength of Erasmus MC's research institutions and the latest research progress in gastroenterology, hepatology, and translational medicine. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on clinical research in digestive system diseases, basic research in cell therapy and gene editing therapies, and clinical translation models. They also exchanged views on joint postgraduate training and researcher exchanges, reaching preliminary consensus on cooperation.

    After the meeting, Prof. Peppelenbosch and his delegation toured the CCU of the Department of Cardiology, the Digestive Endoscopy Center, and the Gansu Provincial Clinical Medical Research Center for Digestive System Diseases, engaging in exchanges and discussions with researchers from relevant disciplines. Prof. Peppelenbosch and his colleagues spoke highly of LZUFH's clinical facilities and research platform development. 

    This visit officially opened a new chapter of cooperation between LZUFH and Erasmus MC. Both sides expressed their mutual expectation to conduct pragmatic cooperation in joint talent cultivation, research collaboration and innovation, translation of cutting-edge clinical outcomes, and regular exchange mechanisms, working together to advance medical research innovation and clinical service excellence. 

Edited by the Office of Foreign Affairs