In-depth implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative and the national counterpart assistance program for Xinjiang has been carried out to promote substantive progress in medical exchanges and cooperation between China and Kazakhstan. On April 22, Baigenjin Abai Habatayevich, President of the National Medical Science Center of Kazakhstan, accompanied by Luo Zhaohui, Party Secretary of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, visited The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University for exchange and discussions. They also attended the "China-Kazakhstan Joint Building of a Health Corridor, Counterpart Assistance for Xinjiang Composing a Magnificent Chapter—International Seminar on Medical Exchanges." This conference represents another robust practice by The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University in deepening international medical cooperation and serving the national strategic layout.
The meeting was attended by Bolat Gabasovich Kupenov, Vice President of the National Medical Science Center of Kazakhstan, Guliz Husayinhan, Director of the International Department, He Qiang, Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and President Assistant of Xinjiang Medical University, Wang Fei, Vice President of the Graduate School of Jilin University and Director of the Graduate Comprehensive Affairs Office, Guo Chun, Head of the Counterpart Support Section of the Graduate School, Wang Xi, Head of the Party Building Section of the Norman Bethune Medical Department of Jilin University, Sun Yang, Vice President of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Wu Lan, Cadre of the Organization and Personnel Section, Qin Yanguo, Party Committee Secretary of The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, along with all members of the leadership team, aid cadres dispatched to Xinjiang, and directors of various departments. The meeting was presided over by Qu Wenrui, Vice President of The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University.
In his address, Qin Yanguo pointed out that under the broader context of Jilin University’s paired assistance to Xinjiang Medical University, and with the active promotion and strong support of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University and the National Medical Science Center of Kazakhstan have already established positive collaborative intentions and preliminary groundwork in areas such as medical research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and talent cultivation. Director Abay’s first visit to The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University marks a significant milestone in the deepening relationship between the two institutions. The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University highly values this exchange and looks forward to fostering Sino-Kazakh medical cooperation to a higher level through an open attitude and pragmatic measures, injecting new momentum into the joint construction of the Health Silk Road.
Luo Zhaohui noted that The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University has long been a designated counterpart support unit for Xinjiang Sixth Hospital. In recent years, under the unified deployment of Jilin University, the Sixth Hospital has continuously achieved breakthroughs in clinical services, scientific research, and platform development. The hosting of this seminar not only reflects the extension of outcomes from the aid provided to Xinjiang but also establishes a new high-quality cooperation platform for the China-Kazakhstan tripartite collaboration. We hope to seize this opportunity to further promote substantive cooperation among the three parties at higher levels and in broader fields, thereby creating a new pattern of joint contribution, shared benefits, and mutual success.
On behalf of Xinjiang Medical University, He Qiang expressed heartfelt gratitude to Jilin University for its long-standing profound support and highly commended the practical achievements made in the paired cooperation between The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University and the Sixth Affiliated Hospital. He pointed out that Xinjiang, located in the core area of the Belt and Road Initiative, serves as a vital hub connecting Central Asia and radiating influence across the Western Regions. It carries the nation’s forward mission of advancing health cooperation between China and Kazakhstan. He expressed hope that, taking this meeting as an opportunity, the three parties would jointly create a new model of cross-regional, transnational, and interdisciplinary collaborative development, contributing more of Xinjiang’s strength to the construction of the Health Silk Road.
In his speech, Baignjin Abay Kabatayevich highly commended our institute's achievements in medical services, scientific research, and humanistic development. He pointed out that against the backdrop of continuously improving China-Kazakhstan relations and growing strategic mutual trust, the exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in the medical field not only carry the significance of professional mutual learning but also reflect the contemporary value of the two countries supporting each other and jointly pursuing health and well-being. He stated that although the healthcare systems of both sides have their own distinctive features, it is precisely for this reason that there is more room for complementarity and mutual learning. He expressed hope that this visit would serve as an opportunity to further expand the depth and breadth of cooperation, making positive contributions to the health cause of the peoples of China and Kazakhstan.
At the meeting, Qu Wenrui systematically introduced the hospital's exploratory practices in technological innovation, research layout, and international collaboration. He proposed the establishment of an international medical cooperation network centered around The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, radiating across Central Asia and Northeast Asia. The initiative aims to build three major international hubs for clinical research, medical services, and achievement transformation, thereby injecting new momentum into regional collaborative development.
President Baignjin delivered a keynote report titled "Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment: The Synergistic Effects of Scientific Research and Clinical Practice," sharing Kazakhstan's advanced experience in translational medicine and the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases, while delving into pathways for integrating scientific research with clinical practice.
During the conference, The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University officially signed a cooperation agreement with the National Scientific Medical Center of Kazakhstan. Additionally, the appointment ceremony for visiting professors of the International Cooperation Joint Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and visiting professors of The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University was held, further strengthening the institutional safeguards for scientific research and talent cultivation between the two parties.
Wu Minfei, Vice President of The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, systematically reported the phased achievements of the hospital’s recent paired assistance program for Xinjiang. The report covered key areas such as multidisciplinary assistance, telemedicine support, and the cultivation of key medical personnel, comprehensively demonstrating the breadth and depth of the hospital’s support efforts within the context of the national strategy for regional medical collaboration.
The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University signed a specialist cooperation agreement with the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. The two institutions reached a consensus on standardized diagnosis and treatment, collaborative technological research, and joint talent cultivation in the fields of orthopedics and rehabilitation medicine. This marks a substantial breakthrough in regional collaboration at the level of specialty development.
After the meeting, the participants toured the Laboratory Medicine Department, Pathology Department, Radiology Department, and Nuclear Medicine Department of The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, and highly commended the hospital's high-quality medical service environment and advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment.
This event is a significant initiative by The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University to thoroughly implement the national strategy of paired assistance to Xinjiang, actively serve the country's diplomatic agenda, integrate into the Belt and Road Initiative, and promote the coordinated integration of regional medical resources. Taking this conference as a new starting point, The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University will anchor itself to the direction of national strategies, leverage existing collaborative foundations, continuously expand boundaries, deepen mechanisms, and jointly develop platforms. It will strive to create a sustainable, replicable, and scalable new model for international medical cooperation, working together to compose a new chapter in the era of a China-Kazakhstan shared future in health.
