Family medicine the focus of new agreement with Singapore
Collaborative research and knowledge exchange in family medicine and primary care is the focus of a new international agreement signed by the University of Exeter.
Exeter will explore a host of partnership opportunities with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the country’s National University Health System (NUHS) following the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the three institutions.
The MOU establishes a framework for long-term collaboration between the three, creating opportunities for academics, clinicians and students to work together to address some of the most significant challenges facing healthcare systems worldwide.
By bringing together complementary expertise from Singapore and the United Kingdom, the collaboration aims to develop evidence-based solutions that both improve patient care and strengthen health systems.
Initially, the partnership will focus on areas of shared strategic importance, including healthy ageing, multimorbidity, digital innovation, preventive care and population health. It will also support joint research projects, staff and student exchanges, academic visits, seminars and other knowledge exchange activities.
Professor Richard Follett, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at Exeter, said: “We are delighted to formalise our partnership with the National University of Singapore and the National University Health System. Our institutions share a commitment to using research, education and international collaboration to improve healthcare and address some of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare systems around the world.
“The initial focus of our partnership is on primary care. This is fundamental to improving health outcomes by creating more effective, resilient, equitable and responsive healthcare systems. By bringing together our complementary expertise and perspectives, we will generate knowledge and innovations that will deliver meaningful benefits for patients and communities.”
The collaboration brings together internationally recognised strengths in primary care research, medical education and health services research. At Exeter, the Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) is internationally recognised for research spanning primary care delivery, cancer diagnosis, rehabilitation, mental health and long-term conditions. Meanwhile at NUS and NUHS, family medicine is delivered through an integrated academic model that combines clinical practice, education and research to strengthen community-based and population-oriented care.
The agreement builds on strong academic links already established between the institutions, including the work of Associate Professor Sarah Bailey, Associate Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics at the University of Exeter and Visiting Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, whose leadership has helped establish the foundations for the partnership.
Professor Jose M. Valderas, Head of the Department of Family Medicine at the National University Health System and Head of the Division of Family Medicine at NUS Medicine, said: “This partnership represents much more than the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. It reflects a shared commitment to advancing the science, practice and future of family medicine and primary care through education, research and academic collaboration.
“By bringing together the complementary strengths of our institutions, we have an opportunity to create new knowledge, develop future healthcare leaders and generate research that is both locally relevant and globally significant. We look forward to building enduring relationships that will benefit our academic communities and, ultimately, the populations we serve.”
The Memorandum of Understanding marks the beginning of what both institutions hope will become a long-term strategic relationship, providing a platform for broader collaboration across research, education and innovation in the years ahead.
