On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, Professor Chris Day, President of Newcastle University, led a delegation to visit Zhongda Hospital Southeast University. The delegation included Dennis Wong, Dean of Newcastle University's Malaysia and Singapore campuses; Paola Gazzola, Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape; Vice Dean Jianfei Zhu; and international office representatives Xenia Xu and Jessie Su. They were accompanied by Qiu Haibo Vice President of Southeast University; Liu Chengyu, Dean of the School of Instrument Science and Engineering; Ge Ming, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture; and Yuan Chao from the International Cooperation Office. This visit was part of the Newcastle University delegation's visit at Southeast University.

Professor Chris Day has served as the President of Newcastle University since 2017. He is a rotating chair of the Russell Group, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary University Group Council, and an advisory board member of the UPP Foundation. He is also an internationally renowned hepatology expert and consultant, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a former Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs.

The delegation first visited the exhibition themed "High-Quality Development at Zhongda Hospital Southeast University." Qiu Haibo, Vice President of Southeast University, Huang Yingzi, Executive Director of Zhongda Hospital, and Assistant Director Li Ling introduced the development history, peak discipline construction, and cutting-edge scientific research progress of Zhongda Hospital to Professor Chris Day and his team.

In the Department of Interventional and Vascular Surgery, Deputy Director Zhu Haidong and Associate Professor Lu Jian provided a detailed introduction to the department's development, equipment conditions, and innovations in medical technology and the integration of medicine and engineering. As a hepatology expert, Professor Chris Day was particularly interested in the department's treatment and research on liver cancer and engaged in in-depth discussions with the attending medical experts.

Next, the delegation visited the ICU Department, where President Qiu Haibo, Department Director Yang Yi, and Assistant Director Xie Jianfeng introduced the ICU's pioneering and nationally promoted in-hospital Critical Care Rapid Response Team (CCRRT) system and remote management system. In the ICU conference room, both parties held a cordial discussion. Professor Chris Day shared insights and experiences in personnel and student management as a university president in the UK, emphasizing the importance of communication skills for clinicians. He noted that the UK prioritizes communication skills when selecting medical students. Professor Liu Ling, Vice Dean of the Medical School and ICU at Southeast University, and the Newcastle University delegation exchanged views on student training methods and explored possibilities for international exchange and cooperation.

This visit was in the context of Southeast University's proposal to establish the "China-UK Smart Healthcare Innovation Center." As a leading regional medical institution, Zhongda Hospital is committed to improving healthcare through innovation and collaboration. Zhongda Hospital is aligned with Southeast University's vision of establishing a "Greater Medical Discipline" to meet the evolving healthcare needs and the "Healthy China 2030" initiative. This exchange has enhanced collaboration and understanding between Zhongda Hospital and world-class universities and medical experts, creating opportunities for future cooperation.