To advance international-oriented education and broaden the global vision of faculty and students, supported by the EU Erasmus+ project jointly approved by XMU and Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Belgium, one teacher and three students from the School of Nursing and Rehabilitation carried out a summer study-exchange programme in Belgium from June 22 to July 5.

This summer camp brought together nursing teachers and students from Belgium, China, Jordan, the United States and other countries, building an international platform for medical exchanges. Centering on cutting‑edge fields including chronic disease management, emergency assessment, mental health, artificial intelligence in healthcare and cross-cultural doctor-patient communication, the programme delivered special lectures and transnational seminars.

During the study tour, our students participated in all exchanges and discussions in English. They presented achievements in domestic nursing and elderly-care services, and improved their professional English proficiency and cross-cultural communication competence. The visiting teacher gave lectures on Baduanjin, the traditional Chinese health-preserving exercise, and shared experience in nursing programme development and grassroots talent training at our university. Faculty and students also visited the partner university’s training centre to observe standardised nursing training, and toured the emergency department of a local hospital to learn about European clinical nursing procedures and teaching models. In transnational group innovation assignments, our students completed project designs integrating the strengths of traditional Chinese health preservation and domestic elderly care. Their outputs were recognized by teachers and students from other participating countries, and all participants obtained completion certificates.

Our university has maintained a partnership with Thomas More University of Applied Sciences since 2018 and carried out two-way academic exchanges under the Erasmus+ programme. This study tour constitutes a key practice for our university’s international talent cultivation. It has enhanced the overall competence of participating faculty and students, spread traditional Chinese health-preserving culture, and deepened bilateral cooperation between the two institutions. Going forward, our university will continue to build overseas learning platforms to support the high-quality development of medical education.