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Suzhou and Hong Kong: Forging international partnerships for the School of Health
In May 2025, two members of staff from the School of Health visited China and Hong Kong as part of a Knowledge Exchange visit. Caroline Key, Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Healthcare, and Dr Heather Baglee, Course Director for Occupational Therapy, visited Suzhou Vocational Health College and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, forging relationships for future collaborations with Leeds Beckett’s School of Health.
In this blog, they talk us through what the trip involved.
With a busy itinerary we arrived at Suzhou Vocational Health College (SVHC) on the 19th of May. The city of Suzhou, with its blend of tradition and innovation, lies just over 100 kilometres west of Shanghai and is in China known as “the paradise on earth”, famous for its breathtaking classical gardens and intricate waterways.
In 2024 SVHC sent a delegation of 20 students and academics to Leeds Beckett as part of an academic exchange and relations visit. The purpose of our 5-day visit to SV HC was to strengthen these ties, explore future agreements and contribute to knowledge exchange by delivering lectures to students enrolled in SVHC’s International Nursing and Rehabilitation Programmes.
Caroline and Heather at Suzhou Vocational Health College
A highlight of the visit was our guided tour through SVHC’s renowned Nursing and Rehabilitation Practice Centres - facilities focused on simulation-based learning. Supported by national and provincial funding, the Centre includes a Pre-hospital Resuscitation unit, a Maternal and Infant Care Centre, a Virtual Simulation Ward, and even a fully equipped Simulated Operating Theatre.
The Rehabilitation Centres included teaching areas dedicated to occupational therapy, physiotherapy and some sports rehabilitation. These cutting-edge resources support a curriculum strongly centred on skills acquisition and vocational preparation. The students at SVHC typically do not enter clinical practice outside the college until their final-year internships, making the internal simulation environments especially significant for experiential learning.
During our visit, we delivered both joint and discipline-specific lectures to students across the International Nursing and Rehabilitation programmes. Topics included Reflective Practice, Enquiry-Based Learning, Teamwork and Interprofessional Education, the NHS and the UK healthcare system, Nurse assessments, exploring occupational therapy theory and Virtual Learning Environments in Occupational Therapy.
Heather delivering a teaching session
Our sessions were designed to not only offer substantive academic content but also to familiarise students with teaching practices common in the UK— thereby supporting their potential engagement in future international studies. Several of this year’s graduates from SVHC have applied to the BSc (Hons) Health and Community Care top up programme at Leeds Beckett.
We noted both similarities and distinct differences in teaching approaches when taking part in local lectures, many of which stem from the institution’s advanced infrastructure and its focus on skill-based, problem-based training.
Our gracious hosts from the Departments of Nursing and Rehabilitation extended warm hospitality throughout our stay. A particularly enriching experience was a tour arranged by Victoria Gu, Director of Nursing and Foreign Affairs at SVHC, including a visit to a five-star Care Village for older adults and the rehabilitation unit at the Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
As our week in Suzhou came to a close, we travelled south to the international city of Hong Kong. At the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), we participated in the formal signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding, solidifying another strategic academic partnership. PolyU is an internationally recognised institution with a diverse portfolio of global collaborators. Its five-year nursing programme is uniquely distinguished as the only nursing curriculum in Hong Kong to retain the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine as an integral component.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Professor Janelle Yorke, Head of School of Nursing
Our visit to PolyU included a tour of its advanced Virtual Learning Environment, designed to enhance communication skills and empathetic understanding of psychological experiences such as delirium and hallucinations. These immersive learning technologies reflect a commitment to holistic, patient-centred education.
We returned inspired by the students we taught, the colleagues we learned from, and the warmth with which we were received.
We look forward to continuing this rich knowledge exchange through international mobility, teaching collaboration, and joint research initiatives. We are hoping that what began as a formal partnership is evolving into a shared story—one of global learning, mutual respect, and lasting connection.
Caroline Key
Caroline Key is a senior Lecturer in nursing at Leeds Beckett University, specialising in dementia care, with interests in global mobility, knowledge exchange, and inclusive education. She is admissions tutor and recruitment lead, working in both Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes.
Dr Heather Baglee
Dr Heather Baglee is the Course Director for the BSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Occupational Therapy programmes.
