University signs agreement with Chinese Academy of Sciences

A recently signed agreement between the University of Ottawa and the Chinese Academy of Sciences — the only agreement between a Canadian university and a research institution in China — will lead to major research exchanges in the area of reproductive health.

The five-year renewable agreement was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Paul Martin and Chinese President Hu Jintao at a ceremony on Parliament Hill on September 9.

Dr. Ben Tsang, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine and a researcher at the Ottawa Health Research Institute, is the project’s leader. He previously initiated a similar research initiative in Japan, which has developed into a multi-institutional research consortium involving numerous Canadian and Japanese scientists.

“Research on the effectiveness and safety of assisted reproduction and contraception, the impact of environmental contaminants on reproductive health, as well as cancer of the reproductive organs are important priorities in both Canada and China and this exciting collaborative initiative will be a key step in improving the reproductive health of Canadians and Chinese,” says Dr. Tsang.

Dr. Tsang will lead a 25-member Canadian scientific delegation to Beijing in November to begin implementing the exchange program.