• The University of Cambridge partners with Sunway Group and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation to advance healthcare and education in the country.

• Sunway Medical Centre announced it will establish the Sunway Clinical Research Centre – serving as a regional site partner of the School of Clinical Medicine of the University of Cambridge.

• University of Cambridge and Royal Papworth Hospital will establish a joint programme between the Cambridge’s School of Clinical Medicine, SunMed, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Sunway University.

In an increasingly globalised world, crossborder interdisciplinary partnerships have become a necessity to address the world’s most pressing healthcare issues.

Recognising this, Sunway Medical Centre (SunMed), the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, the University of Cambridge and Royal Papworth Hospital have recently signed agreements to collaborate on healthcare and education issues.

Under the agreements, Sunway Medical Centre will establish the Sunway Clinical Research Centre that will become a Regional Site Partner of the School of Clinical Medicine of the University of Cambridge.

The Sunway Clinical Research Centre will help develop an integrated approach to healthcare, clinical trials and research in Malaysia aimed at prevention, earlier diagnosis and improved treatments for diseases that are tailored to the Asian genetic composition.

As part of the collaboration, Cambridge and Royal Papworth Hospital will establish a joint programme between the Cambridge’s School of Clinical Medicine, SunMed, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences (JCSMHS), and Sunway University (SunU). This will allow sharing of academic excellence through regular academic visits and exchanges, as well as scientific and clinical training opportunities at Cambridge for outstanding postgraduates from Sunway.

The signed agreements also allow for Sunway Medical Centre to collaborate with the hospitals who are part of the Cambridge University Health Partners, two of which are the world renowned Royal Papworth Hospital and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. This will help Sunway Medical Centre in its goal to become Malaysia’s first private teaching hospital.

“Cambridge University’s decision to collaborate with us further testifies to Sunway’s commitment to excellence and to giving to society. At Sunway, we are determined to raise standards in healthcare and education, providing the best possible to not just Malaysians, but also the 630 million-strong population of the ASEAN region. Making people’s lives better is fundamental to what we do here, because we’re passionate about sustainable development,” said Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sir Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO, Sunway Group Founder and Chairman.

The University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Toope, OC, welcomed the partnership, saying; “The agreements we have signed with the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Sunway Medical Centre mark the beginning of a new stage in an exceptional partnership. Working together, Cambridge University, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Sunway Medical Centre are poised to make a signal contribution to some of the world’s major medical challenges.”

At Sunway, we are determined to raise standards in healthcare and education, providing the best possible to not just Malaysians, but also the 630 million-strong population of the ASEAN region. Making people’s lives better is fundamental to what we do here, because we’re passionate about sustainable development

Prof Patrick Maxwell, Head of School of Clinical Medicine of the University of Cambridge and Director of Cambridge University Health Partners, Prof Jarlath Ronayne, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Professor at Sunway University, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sir Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO, Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group, Stephen J. Toope, OC, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Sarena Cheah, Managing Director of Sunway Berhad Property Development Division, Malaysia and Singapore, and Dr Khoo Chow Huat, Deputy Managing Director of Sunway Medical Centre at the University of Cambridge

Professor Patrick Maxwell, Regius Professor of Physic and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, said; “As the world of medicine changes more rapidly than perhaps ever before, it is clear that collaboration will be the key to success. For this reason, I am delighted that we are entering into a new collaboration with Sunway, an institution which shares our unswerving commitment to excellence in medicine and medical education.”

The collaboration is part of Sunway’s plans to develop Sunway City as a regional hub of excellence in the healthcare and education sectors.

Sunway’s relationship with Cambridge began in 2014 with the establishment of two Jeffrey Cheah Professorial Fellowships in Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge, in a move to build research and academic links with SunU.