Trustees and senior staff in Beijing.

In early September, a delegation of trustees and senior staff from China Medical Board (CMB) traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong to hold the foundation’s biannual board meeting and to celebrate its 110th anniversary. The trip included celebratory dinners in Beijing and Shanghai, visits to top Chinese medical universities and teaching hospitals, and meetings with other organizations engaged in people-to-people exchanges. A special highlight was a concert of the historic and recently refurbished pipe organ at Peking Union Medical College’s auditorium, with internationally acclaimed organists Yuan SHEN and Jean-Baptist Robin.  Our colleagues were particularly appreciative of CMB Chair Wendy O’Neill delivering her opening remarks to guests in Mandarin.

Among the dignitaries in attendance at the September 7 dinner in Beijing were U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education LIN Huiqing, SHEN Xin, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), and CHEN Xinyu, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Health Science, Technology and Education of the National Health Commission.  In his remarks, Ambassador Burns spoke about the philanthropic spirit of the Rockefeller family, whose generosity led to the founding of CMB in 1914, and he also emphasized the benefits of people-to-people collaboration. Madame LIN offered a warm message of congratulations to CMB and noted CMB’s long history of support for medical education. Wendy O’Neill and CMB Executive Vice President Barbara Stoll also spoke about the importance of working together to address common problems, with a shared goal of improving health.

In Shanghai, remarks and good wishes were offered by CMB Chair-designate Harvey Fineberg; CMB President Roger Glass; Jeffrey S. Lehman, Vice Chancellor of NYU Shanghai; WU Fan, Deputy Dean of Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University; GUI Yonghao, Vice President of the Western Returned Scholars Association of Shanghai, also former Dean of Shanghai Medical College; and Barbara Stoll. All spoke of the value of building cooperative relationships in the fields of health and education, noting the ways in which international collaboration can prepare health professionals to work in an ever-changing world, increase knowledge and understanding, and deliver benefits to the world. Referencing the Mid-Autumn Festival, CMB Trustee Jeff Williams brought the evening to a close with toast, delivered in Mandarin: “May the moon be full, and may everything in life be fulfilled, with good health and happiness!”

In Hong Kong, Trustees met with Margaret Chan, Founding Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University and Emeritus Director General of the WHO and with Gabriel Leung, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club to discuss areas of shared interest. Trustee Fred Hu hosted a lovely luncheon for the Trustees on the final weekend of the trip.

The many thought-provoking discussions held over the course of the visit to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong provided trustees and staff with a rich source of ideas for CMB’s future course of work.