Asia

Research Symposium highlights valuable connections between China and Australia

August 31, 2015

This August, Melbourne hosted the annual Joint Symposium for The University of Melbourne and Peking University Centre for Psychiatry Research and Training.

The symposium was distinguished by contributions from both institutions, including speakers Professor Simon Evans, Professor Glenn Bowes and Professor Ian Everall from Australia as well as Professor Fang Weigang, Professor Lu Lin and Professor Yu Xin from China.

The Department of Psychiatry, through their commitment to leading mental health research across the lifespan, have been involved in a number of collaborative projects which were presented.  Topics included dementia and aging, neurocognitive assessment and imaging, and substance abuse.  The project updates from current PhD Students were also included in a popular session before lunch.  And the program concluded with a public lecture in the Sidney Myer Asia Centre.

During this week, the delegates from Peking University Institute of Mental Health also found time to visit Australian colleagues in their own workplaces, with a short tour of the community services at St. Vincent’s Mental Health, and with aged care services with the National Ageing Research Institute, St. George’s Aged Mental Health Service and meeting with faculty of the Department of Psychiatry.

The University of Melbourne and Peking University Centre for Psychiatry Research and Training was established in 2014, and is designed to grow collaborative psychiatric research and build the research capacity of mental health professionals from both Australia and China. To apply for a traineeship or exchange fellowship and general enquiries mp-jointcentre@unimelb.edu.au