Zhang Haidi, chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), meets with Eiichi Saitoh, president of Japan's Fujita Health University on July 27. [Photo/cdpf.org.cn]
On July 27, Zhang Haidi, chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), met with a delegation of Japan's Fujita Health University led by its President Eiichi Saitoh.
Zhang warmly welcomed Eiichi Saitoh on his visit. She said that rehabilitation has become an increasingly important social issue in China due to China's 85 million people with disabilities and 44 million elderly people with disabilities or partial disabilities. They need effective rehabilitation and care to regain physical functions and enhance their quality of life.
She added that the CDPF prioritizes the rehabilitation of the disabled and is committed to promoting the building of a highly-advanced and high-quality international rehabilitation university to expedite the training of high-caliber rehabilitation professionals.
The construction of campus for the University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has been completed. The university has already collaborated with relevant universities to jointly cultivate 58 doctoral students. The first group of them successfully graduated this year. The university now is focusing on recruiting faculty, developing academic disciplines, and establishing research platforms, she pointed out.
Zhang expressed her hope that the University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Fujita Health University can have in-depth exchanges and practical cooperation in the fields of rehabilitation education, academic development, and scientific research, in a bid to cultivate high-caliber rehabilitation talents, promote the development of rehabilitation-related disciplines, and boost the internationalization of the university.
She said she also looks forward to broader exchanges between China and Japan in disability affairs, especially in pragmatic cooperation related to life science research, barrier-free design, and advanced elderly care, so as to alleviate and eliminate suffering and improve the quality of life of more disabled people.
Eiichi Saitoh expressed his appreciation for the rapid development of China's rehabilitation cause during his visit to the University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Noting tthe strong foundation for cooperation between China and Japan in rehabilitation, he said he expects collaboration in areas such as rehabilitation science research, the application of artificial intelligence, and the development of rehabilitation robotics.
Heads from the CDPF's International Department, the Development Office of the University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the China Rehabilitation Research Center attended the meeting.