Tulane establishes joint degree with Nanjing Medical University

The Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine has entered into a memorandum of understanding with China’s Nanjing Medical University to establish a joint degree program.

Under the agreement, Chinese students will have the opportunity to complete a bachelor of preventive medicine degree at the Nanjing Medical University over the course of four years, then travel to New Orleans to complete the requirements for a master of public health degree at Tulane in two years.

In China, the usual period to complete both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree would be seven or eight years. Under the joint degree program with Tulane, students will complete both degrees in an expedited six years.

“We are extremely committed to the goals of global health.”

Dr. Pierre Buekens

Dr. Pierre Buekens, dean of the Tulane School of Public Health, and Dr. Hongbing Shen, president of Nanjing Medical University, signed the agreement. This will be the first such program for Nanjing Medical University.

“The 4+2 program [will prepare] students to become leading public health professionals capable of addressing current global health problems through multidisciplinary approaches that apply the latest scientific knowledge,” the agreement reads.

Both Buekens and Shen were enthusiastic about the program. “We are extremely committed to the goals of global health,” Buekens said. “This program will bring Chinese students to the U.S. to study public health who will then be able to use those skills to address public health challenges in China. We look forward to a strong and growing partnership with Nanjing.”

Dr. Jiang He, Joseph S. Copes Chair of Epidemiology, coordinated the agreement for Tulane. Dr. He has worked with Shen and has traveled to Nanjing Medical University, which has schools of public health, stomatology, pharmacy, nursing, health policy and management, and clinical medicine, among other focus areas.