An international forum has marked the start of an exciting global network which will look at research into healthy ageing and rehabilitation around the world.
The first Shanghai International Geriatric-Habitation Forum was led by experts from the University of Nottingham's Division of Rehabilitation, Aging and Wellbeing, along with experts from the Huashan Hospital, at Fudan University in China.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum was held in the form of a global webcast, which attracted over 10,000 views online.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum was held in the form of a global webcast, which attracted over 10,000 views online.
It was hosted by the China National Geriatrics Clinical Medicine Research Centre (Huashan), the Professional Committee for Geriatric Rehabilitation of the Chinese Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University.
As the co-host and the executive chairman of the forum, Professor Pip Logan from the Division of Rehabilitation, Ageing and Wellbeing at University of Nottingham, led a delegation of experts from the UK to attend the conference.
The team also hosted a UK sub-forum to share their research on ageing and rehabilitation, with some of the very best international institutions on stroke rehabilitation research, such as Fudan University, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (Australia), King's College London, the Universities of Connecticut and Gothenburg and Johns Hopkins University Medical School.
The sub-forum, which focused on 'Rehabilitation management during a global pandemic', attracted nearly 10,500 viewers from all over the world.
Dr Kate Radford, Dr Jane Horne, Dr Vicky Booth, Dr Ben Smith, Louise Howe and Chris Newton from the division presented their most recent research projects on geriatric-rehabilitation to showcase the world-leading healthy ageing research eco system of University of Nottingham Medical School.
Professor Logan, said: "Through the support of Nottingham Health China Initiative and University's Asia Business Centre, I visited Huashan Hospital in November 2019 to build links with researchers in rehabilitation in Shanghai and met Prof Jia. We found out both the UK and China have lots of similar challenges within ageing society and rehabilitation.
I believe this unique forum is just the beginning of a new exciting global collaboration network on healthy ageing and rehabilitation research. With support from each other, we will build a better world for the elderly generation."
During the opening of the forum, Prof Jia Jie, Research Director of Rehabilitation Division, Huashan Hospital, Affiliated to Fudan University said: "Through the long established partnership between the University of Nottingham and Fudan University, I got the opportunity to know Professor Logan and visited Nottingham in January this year. Under the strategic partnership MoU signed in 2018 between University of Nottingham Medical School and Fundan Shanghai Medical College, I believe we could work together on a series of multi-centre healthy ageing studies and generate valuable scientific outcome for the whole global ageing society."
