The 2016 Westlake Youth Forum, hosted by Sichuan University, was held June 20-24 in Chengdu. The annual Westlake series sponsored by CMB in partnership with key medical universities aims to promote innovations in health policy research among the next generation of China’s researchers. This year’s Forum attracted about 100 young professionals for presentation, discussion, exchange, and debate. The 2016 program theme, Quality with Equity, drew participants into discussion on policy frameworks that will both increase access to health care and raise the standard of quality of care.

Li Hong, Sichuan University’s executive vice president, opened the Forum. In his remarks, CMB President Lincoln Chen said health policy research can provide the intelligence that guides policymakers to develop better health systems. For policymakers to achieve both quality and equity, they will need to ask: What works? What does not work? Why? Other speakers included senior Chinese such as Gordon Liu (Peking University), Chen Wen (Fudan University), and Yuntao Hao (Sun Yatsen University). Senior foreigner scholars included Gabriel Leung (University of Hong Kong), Sudhir Anand (Oxford University), and Matt Liang (Harvard University).

The research sessions addressed health care financing consisting of revenue collection, pooling, and purchasing; multidisciplinary approach to health care evaluation; assessment of interventions effects; and assuring safe, convenient, and impactful health care provision. The program also included training sessions and expert consultation clinics, designed to strengthen the professional development of young Chinese health researchers.