On November 5, Professor Wu Jian, Dean of the School of Healthcare Management at Tsinghua University, led a faculty delegation to the China Hospital Reform and Development Research Institute at Nanjing University. The delegation held in-depth discussions with representatives of the host institution on topics such as the development of healthcare management as an academic discipline, talent cultivation, and research in this field. Participants included Mu Genglin, Director of the China Hospital Reform and Development Research Institute, Wang Bin, Deputy Director of the China Hospital Reform and Development Research Institute, and Qu Feng, Director of the Internet Hospital and Telemedicine Center at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, which is affiliated with the Medical School of Nanjing University.

At the beginning of the meeting, both sides provided an overview of the history, research focus, and achievements of their respective institutions. Qiu Yue, a faculty member from the School of Healthcare Management, offered a comprehensive introduction to the School’s history and academic structure, which is built around four core pillars: Smart Healthcare Management, Healthcare Service Management, Healthcare System Management, and Health Economics. She also emphasized the School’s unwavering commitment to driving the development of healthcare management as a discipline.

The discussion focused on defining healthcare management as an interdisciplinary field, exploring new models of cultivating interdisciplinary talent, and improving teaching materials. Participants also exchanged views on research needs related to the reform of public hospitals under the latest healthcare reform framework.

Mu Genglin noted that as healthcare reform deepens, public hospital reform remains a key area of focus. He pointed out that healthcare management as a discipline still faces three main challenges: developing modern hospital management systems, providing adequate legal and regulatory support, and advancing research to develop theoretical frameworks. He called for a collective effort across the academic community to drive the systematic growth of the field.

In response, Dean Wu Jian stated that strengthening the discipline and cultivating high-caliber talent is a shared mission of both institutions. He noted that their respective research strengths and resources are highly complementary. He also expressed hope that the two institutions will continue to pursue pragmatic cooperation in academic research, development of the discipline, and talent exchange, with the aim of advancing healthcare management as a discipline.

Following the meeting, the delegation toured the History Museum, the Piano Hall in the Outpatient Building, and the Internet Hospital at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, where they gained firsthand insight into the hospital’s innovative practices in organizational culture and smart healthcare.

This visit helped define the direction of collaboration between the two institutions and establish a regular communication mechanism. Moving forward, the two sides will continue to focus on public hospital reform, support the Healthy China Initiative, and contribute their expertise to the development of modern hospital management systems.