New partnership with Changzhou Medical Vocational Institute could see students and faculty learning in China
George Brown College (GBC) has a new partnership with the Changzhou Medical Vocational Institute in China.
According to Cory Ross, GBC’s vice president of academic, this partnership could help medical professionals in China improve geriatric care.
China has the world’s fastest aging population with over 172 million people over the age of 65 according to the United Nations. This is projected to grow to over 365 million seniors by 2050.
According to Ross the Changzhou Medical Vocational Institute is attached to a hospital and they are planning a training centre for elderly care but the one piece that’s missing is a Personal Support Worker (PSW) program.
“What we find in China is that there is a maid and a nurse, but there is no cadre of people that are going to take care of the elderly,” said Ross. “There’s not enough people, infrastructure and human resources, to actually help them, to activate them, to take care of them.”
GBC sees opportunities in helping China in three areas: training maids in becoming PSWs; training nurses with gerontological techniques; and providing training for PSWs.
The institution can provide assistance in China through in-person training, electronically sending and updating modules, and going into the field as a field placement.
Students will have the opportunity to study and learn in China, while faculty can go there and teach in the PSW program, Ross said.
Other than the ongoing discussion in Changzhou, Ross has also been working on a massive building project for the elderly just outside of Chongqing.
“The young people are very happy because they know their parents will be well taken care of,” said Ross. “People are in big cities in Shanghai and Beijing and are not be able to come and deal with them because they work very long hours and very hard. So, they need to know that their parents are well taken care of.”
Ross believes the George Brown College has an advantage in doing multi-site research in Canada and China through the partnership.
“People in China are very hospitable and very appreciative of all the Canadian efforts that have been going on since the time of Doctor Norman Bethune,” said Ross who recently received the laureate status membership with the Bethune Medical Development Association of Canada. “I think that together, not only will we be teaching the Chinese, but we’re also learning about their culture.”
Other than healthcare, Ross and his team are also planning on expanding in other fields such as hospitality management, construction engineering technologies, and culinary.
GBC currently has six other partnerships in China including an Early Childhood Centre in Suzhou as well as in the construction, language and tourism sectors.
