From April 25 to 27, 2026, Tang Yida, Vice President of Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC), led a delegation of PKUHSC and its affiliated hospitals’ rehabilitation departments on a visit to the University of Southern California (USC) to attend the 10th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the PKUHSC-USC Occupational Therapy Education Cooperation and the Occupational Therapy Education Forum.

At the ceremony, Tang Yida, Steven Shapiro, Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs at USC, Anthony Bailey, Vice President for International Affairs at USC, CHAI Yang, Dean of the USC School of Dentistry, and Mr. Ronnie CHAN delivered speeches respectively.

In 2016, PKUHSC and USC signed a cooperation agreement for the training of postgraduate students in rehabilitation medicine. Together, the two institutions have cultivated high-level professionals and faculty in occupational therapy, gradually establishing a talent training system that integrates international perspectives, embodies professional excellence, and meets local needs. Through this program, a total of 19 students obtained master’s degrees in Rehabilitation Therapy (Occupational Therapy track) at PKUHSC. Among them, 15 outstanding graduates proceeded to pursue doctoral degrees in occupational therapy at USC. This program has become a significant milestone in the development of professional degree education in rehabilitation therapy in China. Looking ahead, PKUHSC looks forward to further deepening its strategic partnership with USC, with a focus on the following areas: expanding student training pathways, promoting faculty exchanges and joint research, and collaborating with USC to offer continuing education courses.

During the Occupational Therapy Education Forum, the PKUHSC–USC “Think Tank” meeting on future collaboration in occupational therapy focused on key areas such as talent cultivation, faculty exchanges, research collaboration, and continuing education, and reached multiple strategic agreements, charting a blueprint for the next decade of cooperation between the two institutions. The two institutions will sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance their professional influence both domestically and internationally, optimize curriculum systems and joint teaching initiatives, expand talent cultivation pathways, and strengthen clinical internship cooperation. They will deepen talent exchange through regular faculty exchanges, student summer programs, and mutual employment opportunities. Additionally, they will collaborate on post-graduation personnel training to support the continuing education and professional development of local practitioners.

The collaboration between PKUHSC and USC in occupational therapy education has not only written a remarkable chapter in the medical exchange and mutual learning between China and the US, but has also injected vigorous momentum into the high-quality development of China’s rehabilitation medicine sector through its exploration of integrating advanced international concepts with local practical wisdom.

Written by: Lang Lang

Edited by: Liu Xin

Source: Office of International Cooperation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences