A partnership between world-class universities in the UK and China, overseen by the British Council, aims to create measurable benefits for Chinese patients and the economy by generating new health economics expertise.
The collaboration between UK and China universities will generate research-led technical advice that supports the reform of Chinese Health Technology Assessment (HTA) processes and builds in-country capacity in health economics.
The 2019 UK-China Health and Economy Partnership (UK-CHEP) was held in Beijing on October 27, 2019. Academic leads from Bournemouth University, University of Sheffield, University of York, and University of Leeds and three Chinese universities - Zhejiang University, Fudan University and Shandong University - joined the meeting.
Mr. Xinguang Wang, Vice President, Head of Corporate Affairs, Market Access and Commercial of GSK China, and Ms. Cathy He, Director of Higher Education Partnerships of British Council delivered speeches respectively and expressed the recognition and expectation of the UK-China Health and Economy Partnership. Professor Darrin Baines from Bournemouth University made an overview introduction of the partnership this year.
The UK-CHEP will:
- Support participating universities so they can work together to create significant impact for both the British and Chinese people and economy by engaging in long-term projects and knowledge collaborations that generate new expertise in health economics and health policy, and;
- Help build mutual understanding and deepen and broaden collaboration between participating universities by sharing research and educational opportunities that help deliver the goals of China’s “Double First Class” programme
The Steering Group Committee will support UK-CHEP activities, ensuring that participating universities are active in research and knowledge exchange that generates research-led technical advice and capacity in health economics and health technology assessment that focuses on:
- Supporting participating universities in achieving the aims of the Chinese government’s Double First Class programme by helping participating academics to deliver world-class education and research;
- Completing joint projects that employ the latest developments in health technology assessment, statistics and modelling methods, whilst generating world-class research that improves the quality of available evidence;
- Supporting students and academic staff from China to engage in short-term and long-term study and exchange at UK institutions, and vice versa, to contribute to the intellectual vitality and cultural diversity of education institutions in both the UK and China;
- Jointly deliver activities and workshops funded by the UKCHEP in order to develop academic capacity and attainment in keeping with the ambitions of the Double First Class programme.
Professor Darrin Baines, Professor in Health Economics at Bournemouth University, said: “This partnership will secure significant impact upon health and economic outcomes by improving patient quality of life through better and faster access to cost-effective medicines and promoting world-class research and education in keeping with China’s ‘Double First Class’ programme.”
Mr. Xinguang Wang, Vice President, Head of Corporate Affairs, Market Access and Commercial of GSK China said: “GSK signed with the British Council in 2018 to continue to carry out the UK-China Health and Economy Partnership, which is also part of our commitment to supporting the realization of ‘Healthy China 2030’ strategy and improving Chinese people’s health and life.
"We expect the long-term partnership between leading universities of China and UK to promote the in-country capacity in health economics through expertise sharing and joint research and to support reform of Chinese HTA processes and benefit Chinese patients.”
Prior to the Beijing meeting, Chinese and UK partners met to discuss how each university could participate in the programme and how joint research and other activities will be delivered. York University met their partners at Fudan University campus. Sheffield University met at Shandong University. Leeds University met at Zhejiang University.
This partnership was originally launched in Jinan, Shandong province in November 2017 by Bournemouth University.
GSK and the British Council have extended the partnership for a further two years, running until January 2021.
