International neurosurgeons and Chinese colleagues at the 2nd Donglei Brain International Neurosurgery Forum. From left: experts from Turkey, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and China gathered for cross-border neurosurgical dialogue.
In This Article
On June 27, the 2nd Donglei Brain International Neurosurgery Forum was successfully held in Shanghai. Neurosurgery experts from Turkey, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan joined hundreds of Chinese colleagues for intensive academic exchange.
Since its inaugural edition last year, this academic platform — anchored in Belt and Road medical cooperation — has consistently built bridges of dialogue and collaboration among neurosurgeons across the participating countries.
🏆 Forum Highlights at a Glance
- Indonesia: Signed cooperation agreement with Airlangga University Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated hospital
- Egypt: Signed letter of intent for a China-Arab Neuroscience Center with MHS Avicenna Medical Management Company
- Alliance Launch: The Yangtze River Delta International Medical & Special Services Alliance was formally established, with 30 founding member institutions receiving official certification
- Chairmanship: Shanghai Donglei Brain Hospital was elected the first rotating chair of the alliance
"From becoming one of Shanghai's first International Medical Tourism pilot institutions in 2020, to now serving as the first ‘standard-bearer’ of the Yangtze River Delta International Medical Alliance — Donglei Brain Hospital has charted its own distinctive internationalization path over six years."
Building Platforms / Expanding the Belt & Road “Circle of Friends”
Last September, the first edition of the Donglei Brain International Neurosurgery Forum attracted neurosurgeons from Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and the UAE. This year, the forum expanded further, welcoming first-time participants from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan. Two consecutive editions have steadily broadened Donglei Brain Hospital's Belt & Road “circle of friends.”
International delegates at the 2nd Donglei Brain International Neurosurgery Forum.
Academic exchange session exploring neurosurgical collaboration across Belt and Road countries.
"Healthcare is a vital component of building a ‘global community of health for all.’ Medical exchanges under the Belt & Road framework are fundamentally about joint consultation and shared benefit. For Chinese neurosurgery, this is not just about exporting technology and standards — it is about deep listening. Understanding the real needs and clinical challenges of our counterparts, and finding where Chinese solutions can make the greatest impact through mutual learning."
Two Landmark Partnership Agreements
Airlangga University (Indonesia)
Cooperation agreement signed with the Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated hospital — building a China-Indonesia neurosurgery training bridge.
MHS Avicenna (Egypt)
Letter of intent signed for the China-Arab Neuroscience Center — creating a hub for neurosurgical collaboration across the Arab world.
Yangtze River Delta International Medical Alliance
During the forum, the Yangtze River Delta International Medical & Special Services Alliance was officially launched. 30 founding member institutions were awarded certification plaques, and Shanghai Donglei Brain Hospital was elected the alliance's first rotating chair — a recognition of its six-year journey from pilot institution to regional leader in international medical services.
The Yangtze River Delta International Medical & Special Services Alliance inauguration ceremony. 30 member institutions received official certification.
Cultivating Talent / A “Two-Way Street” on the Health Silk Road
At Donglei Brain Hospital, talent cultivation has never been a one-way lecture — it is a bi-directional journey grounded in the philosophy that the most lasting Belt & Road contribution is planted in the hands and minds of people.
Bringing Foreign Doctors In
The hospital has steadily attracted international physicians to join its clinical team:
- 🇰🇷 South Korean general practitioner — bridging East Asian patient care
- 🇪🇸 Egyptian neurosurgeon — serving Middle Eastern and North African patients
- 🇧🇯 Beninese ICU intensivist — strengthening critical care for international patients
These physicians not only contribute to daily clinical work — consultations, surgeries, and patient rounds — but also serve as cultural and linguistic bridges for patients from their respective regions. From outpatient check-ins to intraoperative coordination, from cross-border tele-consultations to international medical escort services, foreign doctors have become a vital pillar of the hospital's international medical division.
Welcoming International Medical Students
Last October, 47 international medical students from 18 countries — including Thailand, Malaysia, and India — who are enrolled at Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, visited Donglei Brain Hospital for clinical observership rotations. They experienced firsthand the technical precision and patient-centered care of Chinese neurosurgery.
As a teaching hospital, Donglei Brain continues to open its doors to overseas medical students, offering clinical exposure and mentorship. For these future medical leaders of their home countries, early exposure to China's medical standards and practice philosophy is the most concrete and enduring form of Belt & Road health cooperation.
International medical students from Fudan University Shanghai Medical College during their observership at Donglei Brain Hospital.
Delivering Service / Real Patients, Real Stories
International medicine, at its core, is measured in individual patient outcomes — not in speeches or statistics. Here are two stories that define what Donglei Brain Hospital's international care truly means:
Kathy (“凯迪”), Female — Nepal
Kathy and her Nepali husband Robin were traveling in Thailand when she suddenly collapsed from a congenital cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM). After returning to China, they chose Donglei Brain Hospital, where neurosurgeon Dr. Huo Junfeng (霍峻峰) and his team designed a super-minimally invasive “Burr hole” procedure. The skull opening was just 1.0–1.2 cm — about the width of a pinky finger. From admission to discharge: only 12 days. “I didn't even have to shave my head,” Kathy laughed. Before leaving, she presented her “first-ever jin qi” (锦旗, a traditional Chinese silk banner of gratitude).
Barter (“巴特尔”), Male, 38 — Mongolia
Working in China, Barter suddenly suffered a complete occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery. Neurosurgeon Dr. Wang Wei (王威) and his team performed a temporal muscle patch graft (encephalo-myo-synangiosis), using the patient's own richly vascularized temporal muscle tissue to “re-irrigate” the ischemic brain. “I can feel the strength coming back!” Barter said post-operatively, expressing his gratitude in increasingly fluent Chinese.
Established
(Minimally Invasive)
Donglei Brain Hospital's international care team with a grateful patient — personalized, compassionate care across languages and cultures.
🌐 A Six-Year Journey, A New Chapter Begins
From building an academic platform, to recruiting foreign doctors and training international medical students, to serving patients from over 30 countries — Donglei Brain Hospital has done more than set itself in motion. It has established a model for how a specialty Chinese hospital can become a global player on the Health Silk Road.
“In recent years, more and more international patients are choosing Shanghai for brain surgery,” said Prof. Song Donglei. “Our technology is reliable, and our services are more refined, more human-centered — that is the foundation on which Chinese healthcare earns global trust.”
For international patients, healthcare partners, and medical institutions along the Belt & Road seeking collaboration, Shanghai Donglei Brain Hospital is ready to listen, learn, and co-create the future of neurosurgical care.
Partner with Donglei Brain Hospital
For Belt & Road cooperation inquiries, medical student observerships, international patient referrals, or institutional partnerships, contact our international team.