Kay Center to collaborate with Chinese scholars on health information technology research

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Claremont Graduate University (CGU), with support from the Kay Family Foundation, has launched a new program to promote research and collaboration between the United States and China in the emerging area of health information technology.

The Kay-CGU Visiting Interdisciplinary Professor (K-VIP) Program in Health Information Technology (Health IT) will bring a professor from China to CGU as early as the fall. The professor will lead research into China's health IT needs, teach a CGU graduate practicum class, and serve as a liaison to Chinese colleges and universities.

"We want to continue to accelerate our health IT research and education, and that means we have to think globally," said Tom Horan, Dean of the School of Information Systems and Technology. "This program is the first step toward building an academic bridge in health IT between CGU and China. We're incredibly grateful to the Kay family for supporting our efforts."

China, the world's most populous country, is poised for explosive growth in health IT fields.

The Chinese government has set a national goal of creating electronic health records systems and regional health information networks for its citizens.  But compared to the United States, China's health IT sector is decades behind.

The K-VIP program will facilitate China's entry into the sector and provide opportunities for CGU students and faculty to play a role in that country's booming development.

The visiting professor will be hosted by CGU's Kay Center for E-Health Research, an internationally recognized Health IT research center.