The Second China Initiative Community Reunion
November 23, 2024
The Chan China Initiative Team hosts the second virtual reunion with our community in China to exchange professional updates and resources to advocate for the OT profession.
Associations and Bodies China Initiative Community and Partners Lectures and Talks
The Chan China Initiative Team reunited virtually with Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC) instructors, USC-PKUHSC dual-degree graduates from all three cohorts, and a past China Initiative Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) resident over Zoom. This event marked the first reunion after the third and last cohort of dual-degree students completed their post-professional OTD degrees at USC Chan and returned to China. The team is looking forward to supporting our new OT colleagues in China in their challenging yet rewarding journeys ahead.
The event began with a round of introductions during which attendees were invited to share one personal accomplishment and one professional accomplishment from this past year. The inaugural PKUHSC OT program instructors related their accomplishments as leaders at PKUHSC. Dr. Liguo Qian is overseeing the development of a new early intervention program at the Peking University Third Hospital. He noted that things are coming full circle as he is able to work on a project informed by his pediatric OT experience.
Dr. Hui (Angela) Wang has a new role as Department Head of the Rehabilitation Unit at Peking University Third Hospital Satellite Campus and plans to continue promoting OT among her rehabilitation team. Dr. Yijun (Jane) Liu is invited to present a keynote at the 28th Annual Conference of the Japanese Society for the Study of Occupation on the Model of Occupational Harmony (MOHar) she developed in collaboration with faculty from both PKUHSC and USC. Dr. Liu expressed excitement about the increasing interest in the MOHar, which provides an Eastern perspective on occupational balance. Through their work, these USC alumni and PKUHSC instructors are bringing transformational impacts to OT in China locally as well as enriching OS knowledge internationally.
A virtual group photo of the Chan China Initiative Team, PKUHSC instructors, and USC-PKUHSC dual-degree graduates.
USC-PKUHSC dual-degree graduates also shared exciting updates related to their career development. Dr. Chen Gong from Cohort 1 continues his post-doctoral work and ongoing research projects at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. Dr. Hongying Zhong from Cohort 2 is an instructor teaching rehabilitation and pediatric courses at Shenzhen Polytechnic University and also oversees the OT training room, managing clinical and teaching resources. Another Cohort 2 graduate, Dr. Yongshi Wang, is conducting research at Peking University Cancer Hospital where she has her first experience of writing articles and proposals. Her conference proposal to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference was accepted and she is looking forward to the opportunities of potentially publishing and attending the conference in person next year.
Two Cohort 3 graduates, Dr. Zhixin Liu and Dr. Jiehong Shi, who recently returned to China, shared about the roles and responsibilities of their first time working as OT at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University and at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, respectively. Dr. Shi focuses on activities of daily living training, cognitive training, and cardiac rehabilitation with older adults. She discussed her plan of integrating her experience in the U.S. to establishing a standard of OT practice at her site.
The three cohorts of USC-PKUHSC dual-degree graduates contribute their knowledge and techniques to the clinical, academic, and research advancements of OT in China. Their accomplishments testify the unwavering effort of the Chan China Initiative Team in nurturing leaders to enhance OT practice, education, and research in China.
Following an extensive check-in, the China Initiative community engaged in two group activities. We each submitted adjectives that describe our memories with the China Initiative and the responses collected were all positive and heartwarming. We then participated in drawing or adding images of our favourite China Initiative memories to create a community mural on the Zoom Whiteboard, inspired by the new community mural at USC Chan Division.
Dr. Julie McLaughlin Gray and Dr. Elena Meng of the Chan China Initiative Team both drew their most memorable moments related to delicious Chinese food experienced during the Team’s previous visits to China as well as shared during the monthly seminars with students at USC. After 10 years of close partnership between USC and PKUHSC, the community has developed a strong and supportive relationship, bonding us beyond academic collaboration.
A mural drawn by members of the China Initiative community.
A virtual group photo of the Chan China Initiative Team, PKUHSC instructors, and USC-PKUHSC dual-degree graduates.
The event then transitioned to a discussion of future planning and three questions were provided to guide a conversation related to professional development, support, resources, and advice. Dr. Gong suggested USC Chan host research seminars for professionals in China to promote future collaborations. Dr. Wang envisioned using her knowledge in OT to eventually advocate for OT as an independent profession in China, separate from rehabilitation therapy. Dr. Qian advised his fellow OTs in China to be prepared for any opportunities coming to them and to stay hopeful for the future of the profession, despite the challenges they may face related to their role. Dr. Gray added her advice, encouraging our colleagues in China to remain hopeful and dedicated to the work of expanding OT in China, and to stay in touch with the China Initiative community for support and renewed passion for their work. All participants found it helpful to reconnect with their old friends, exchange information and resources, and most importantly, to support one another in their OT journeys. The Chan China Initiative Team will continue to be a resource available through outreach, future reunion events, and the Chan Alumni in China WeChat group facilitated by Dr. Yawei (Olivia) Li, a past China Initiative OTD resident.
The second China Initiative community reunion concluded with a post-reunion survey to seek feedback from our community on the content of this reunion and preferences for future reunion formats. A number of responses mentioned that attendees enjoyed connecting with old friends and the Chan China Initiative Team. They suggested professional support and resources, such as seminars, networking, and collaborations. There was also great interest among the community to have an in-person reunion soon.
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