On August 18, Karim Eldash, Vice President of Benha National University (BNU), led a delegation to visit Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (NJUCM). President Cheng Haibo attended the cooperation and exchange meeting, which was chaired by Guan Xiaowei, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges.
President Cheng Haibo warmly welcomed the BNU delegation and introduced NJUCM's general profile and recent achievements in international cooperation. He emphasized that both China and Egypt are ancient civilizations sharing common development goals and broad strategic interests. With 2026 marking the 70th anniversary of China–Egypt diplomatic ties, bilateral cooperation is embracing new opportunities. Deepening collaboration between the two universities in traditional medicine not only implements the Beijing Declaration of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation, but also creates valuable opportunities for mutual benefit and joint progress.
This year, the two universities have carried out multiple exchanges, reaching consensus on initiatives such as the establishment of the "Nanjing-Benha College for Medicine and TCM, Egypt" and the "'Belt and Road' Acupuncture–Physical Therapy Joint Laboratory." These efforts open a new chapter for in-depth cooperation. President Cheng hoped that this visit would further solidify the partnership and expand collaboration in international education, digital healthcare, talent cultivation, scientific innovation, and clinical research, producing more high-level outcomes and contributing to the exchange of traditional medicine and mutual learning between civilizations.
Vice President Karim Eldash expressed gratitude for the warm reception and noted that since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in 2024, the two universities have launched a series of activities including summer schools, academic conferences, and mutual visits. He stressed that BNU attaches great importance to its cooperation with NJUCM and looks forward to achieving fruitful results through the further development of the joint school and joint laboratory.
During the meeting, representatives from the School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina / School of Health and Rehabilitation, and the School of Nursing introduced their disciplinary strengths, academic features, and talent training approaches. The two sides also exchanged views on the details of cooperation projects.
After the meeting, the delegation visited the School of Nursing, the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina / School of Health Preservation and Rehabilitation, and the Jiangsu Museum of Chinese Medicine, and highly commended NJUCM's distinctive programs and facilities.
Leaders from the President's Office, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges, the School of Integrative Medicine, the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina / School of Health Preservation and Rehabilitation, the School of Nursing, and the International Education College also attended the meeting.