A delegation from Wenzhou Medical University (WMU), China, visited Med Uni Graz in November to further strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two institutions. The visit on 21 November included strategic discussions on future cooperation, a campus tour, and the signing of a renewed agreement for clinical rotations and research collaboration.
Long-standing partnership since 2008
The cooperation between Med Uni Graz and WMU is Med Uni Graz’s oldest bilateral partnership and dates back to 2001, when the first agreement was signed to establish a structured framework for exchange and collaboration, back then between the University of Graz’s Faculty of Medicine and Wenzhou Medical College. Building on this foundation, both institutions continued to expand mobility opportunities when Med Uni Graz was founded in 2004 and have since then strengthen academic ties between Graz and Wenzhou.
Delegation welcomed by Med Uni Graz
WMU was represented by Vice President Zhu Xuebo, Vice Dean of the Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children’s Hospital and Director of Pediatrics Zhang Weixi, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Development Jin Weiqiong, and attending physician in internal medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chen Daixi.
Renewal of the cooperation agreement until 2028
A central point of the program was a meeting with Vice Rector of Studies and Teaching Erwin Petek, Director of the International Office Heidrun Moertl and Clinical Rotations Coordinator Eva Weixler, during which the new cooperation agreement was signed, extending the partnership framework through the end of September 2028. The renewed agreement continues to focus on the two key pillars: Clinical Rotations (student exchange) and Research Cooperation. The agreement supports joint research activities and the exchange of scholars and faculty, including planned visiting periods and collaboration in various academic and professional fields.
Exchange in paediatrics and clinical collaboration
In addition to institutional meetings, the WMU delegation met with Ernst Eber, Head of the Department of Paediatric and Adolescent medicine and Head of the Clinical Division of Paediatric Pulmonology. The exchange connected directly with the delegation’s clinical expertise: Zhang Weixi serves as director of pediatrics at WMU’s Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children’s Hospital, providing a natural link for discussions on paediatric medicine and potential areas of cooperation in child health.
Campus tour and outlook
The program was complemented by a campus tour, offering the delegation insight into Med Uni Graz’s teaching and clinical environment and providing further opportunities to discuss practical implementation of mobility and cooperation activities. With the renewed agreement in place until 2028 and the shared commitment to clinical training and research collaboration, Med Uni Graz and Wenzhou Medical University reaffirm their intention to further deepen their partnership—building on a cooperation that began in 2008 and continues to develop through regular exchange and direct institutional dialogue.
