Professor Brendan Crabb with Beijing Nightingale Corporation President, Mrs Jiang JingHui.

A Burnet Institute delegation has just returned from China, having attended the Australia-China Association for Biomedical Sciences conference in Hangzhou, signed two landmark partnerships and visited the Institute’s newly-established research and development facility in Nanjing.

Burnet Institute Director and CEO, Professor Brendan Crabb met key partners and stakeholders in Beijing, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Beijing Nightingale Corporation.

“Burnet is very proud of our 20 years of activity in China. We are now looking to broaden our areas of cooperation with in-country partners,” Professor Crabb said.

Head of Burnet’s China Program, Ms Lisa Renkin said the Nightingale Corporation is an ideal partner for future collaboration with Burnet.

“It integrates a strong organisational culture based on the core values of renowned humanitarian Florence Nightingale, with successful business practices, research and development,” Ms Renkin said.

The initial focus for this partnership will centre on Yunnan province, the proposed site of Burnet’s China Program headquarters.

Burnet and Kunming Medical University (KMU) signed a five-year MOU at the university’s 80th anniversary celebrations, outlining key areas of collaboration in academic research and exchanges, joint teaching and supervision of research students, and the development of joint public health research programs.

“Initial areas of priority we’ve mapped out together include HIV, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and child health, and laboratory strengthening,” Ms Renkin said.

“We’ve been delighted to host two Masters of Public Health students from KMU at Burnet during 2013, and hope this is just the beginning of a strong program of collaboration between our two research institutions.”

A follow-up visit to KMU is planned for early December, where public health researchers will map out joint research plans for 2014 and beyond.

Associate Professor David Anderson and Kunming Medical University President, Professor Jiang Runsheng sign the MOU.