From July 23 to 26, 2026, the Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Congress and the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) 35th Anniversary International Academic Conference were grandly held in Singapore. At the invitation of the organizers, Professor Wei Ruihua, Chief Executive Officer of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, led a delegation to attend the conference in Singapore. During the conference, the hospital officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SNEC and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), marking the deep friendship between the two institutions spanning over thirty years entering a new stage of comprehensive and deepened strategic cooperation.
Academic Presence on the International Stage
As an important academic event in the ophthalmic field in the Asia-Pacific region, this conference brought together top ophthalmologists and scholars from around the world. The delegation of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital received significant attention, and the team was invited to deliver high-level academic reports, systematically demonstrating the hospital’s latest research progress in the field of ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment. Professor Wei Ruihua delivered a scientific report titled “From Posterior Scleral Reinforcement to Posterior Scleral Surgical Evolution” at the “Singapore-China Joint Forum”, reviewing the technological evolution and innovative breakthroughs of the hospital in the surgical treatment of high myopia. Professor Li Xiaorong presented a report titled “Single-Center Randomized Clinical Trial: Subretinal Balanced Salt Solution Injection for Moderate-to-Severe Epiretinal Membrane,” which provided new evidence-based medical evidence for the treatment of epiretinal membranes. Dr. Bu Shaochong gave a presentation titled “From Sight-Saving to Sight-Enhancing: A 35-Year Journey in Cataract Surgery at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital,” reviewing the history of Singapore-China ophthalmic cooperation in cataract blindness prevention and the hospital’s recent clinical and research progress in refractive cataract surgery, which received high praise from international experts attending the conference. The nursing team conducted academic exchanges around distinctive nursing practices; Director Liu Hua gave a conference speech on the topic of the innovative service model of a nurse-led dry eye clinic, demonstrating the hospital’s clinical explorations and achievements in this field.
During the conference, Professor Wei Ruihua and the team also had in-depth exchanges with multiple management executives, clinical experts, and leading research figures from SNEC and SERI, conducting productive discussions on topics such as cutting-edge directions in ophthalmology, pathways for clinical research translation, and joint talent cultivation mechanisms.
A Friendship Rooted in History
The friendship between Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital and the SNEC has a long history and can be regarded as a model of international medical cooperation. The predecessor of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital was the “International Intraocular Implant Training Centre (IIITC)”, established in 1989. It was founded through the generous donation of Professor Arthur S. M. Lim, the founder of the SNEC and a renowned ophthalmologist, together with Professor Yuan Jiaqin, a pioneer in Chinese ophthalmology.
As a continuation of this historical connection, SNEC officially started operations in 1990, and Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital became the first domestic member institution of the World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH), which was initiated by SNEC, in 2010. Over the years, the two sides have maintained close interaction in discipline development, hospital management, and international academic exchange. This visit is not only a retrospective of the traditional friendship but also a forward-looking planning for the future.
Strategic MOU Signed, New Cooperation Direction Set
During this visit, Professor Wei Ruihua, on behalf of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding with SNEC-SERI. The signing of this document upgrades the traditional friendly relationship between the two hospitals into an institutionalized, strategic, and in-depth cooperation.
Professor Wei Ruihua exchanges commemorative gifts symbolizing the enduring friendship between the two institutions with Professor Aung Tin, Executive Director of the Singapore Eye Research Institute, Deputy Medical Director (Research) of the Singapore National Eye Centre, and Professor Jodhbir Mehta, Executive Director of the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), Deputy Medical Director (Research) of SNEC, at the signing ceremony.
Group photo after Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing, Ms. Charity Wai, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sengkang General Hospital, the formal COO of SNEC, joined ceremony.
As a world-renowned top ophthalmic center, SNEC’s affiliate, SERI, was established in 1997 and has now grown into the largest ophthalmic research institution in the Asia-Pacific region, occupying a leading position in the global ophthalmic research field. According to the consensus of the MOU, the two sides will focus on the clinical translation of ophthalmic scientific and technological achievements and the joint training of young clinicians and research fellows in the next phase.
In terms of clinical translation of scientific and technological achievements, SERI has a well-established Technology Development and Commercialization (TD&C) office, with rich experience in patent numbers and industrial incubation. Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, on the other hand, has abundant clinical resources backed by the domestic context of China. The strong alliance between the two sides this time is expected to rapidly translate more cutting-edge scientific research achievements into clinical technologies that benefit patients. In terms of talent cultivation, relying on SERI’s powerful research platforms and SNEC’s clinical teaching system, the hospital’s young core staff will gain world-class training opportunities, injecting strong momentum for further enhancing research strength and academic influence.
A Strategic Step Towards High‑Quality Development
This visit to Singapore is an important move in Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital’s internationalization strategy of “going global and bringing in excellence”. It not only consolidates the special friendship between the hospital and SNEC-SERI that has lasted for decades, but, through the signing of the strategic agreement, establishes a high-level international cooperation platform for the hospital’s future high-quality development.
Taking this as a new starting point, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital will rely on the cooperation platform with SNEC-SERI to effectively integrate advanced international technical concepts and management experience into routine clinical work, striving to provide patients with more precise and safer diagnostic and treatment services. At the same time, the hospital will continue to strengthen the international training of young ophthalmic talents, allowing more core physicians to have access to the world’s frontiers and ultimately give back to the domestic eye health cause. In addition, the hospital will, as always, actively participate in public welfare projects such as blindness prevention and treatment, so that the cooperative achievements truly benefit the general public, fulfilling the public hospital’s responsibility and commitment to serving society.
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