In a world divided by conflict, academic collaboration remains a beacon of unity and hope. Nowhere is this more evident, perhaps, than the field of global health, where researchers share such goals as curing disease, addressing climate change, and promoting a healthier future for even the most vulnerable populations. That cooperative spirit drives Princeton University’s Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW) and many of its key initiatives, including a global health exchange program between Princeton and Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.

The exchange program, launched in 2017, reflects an international partnership between two of the nations’ leading universities. According to CHW Executive Director Gilbert Collins, “The Center for Health and Wellbeing maintains strong connections with scholars and research institutions from all over the world. This collaboration is unique because it equally benefits undergraduate students from both universities, advancing research on cancer, infectious diseases, health equity, and other global health challenges while also providing an enriching cross-cultural experience.”

After a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the CHW-sponsored summer program resumed in 2024 with four Princeton students traveling to Hangzhou and four Zhejiang University students visiting the Princeton campus. CHW affiliate and Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology Yibin Kang facilitated the partnership and plays a key role in managing the initiative. “The arrangement is valuable to both universities,” he said. “Princeton students have the opportunity to travel to China, fully immerse in a new culture, and engage in global health studies at one of the country’s top universities. Zhejiang students get a taste of what it’s like to work in a research laboratory at Princeton and live in the United States; for many of them, it’s their first experience at an American university.”