Johns Hopkins' Department of Biomedical Engineering and Tsinghua University, one of the largest and most well-regarded research universities in China, have established the Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, to be housed on Tsinghua University's campus in Beijing.

The center will provide state-of-the-art research opportunities, including joint research projects, exchange of visiting scholars and students, joint educational initiatives, conferences and technical assistance.

Xiaoqin Wang, a professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins, will serve as the inaugural director of the center. "In the past 20 years, biomedical engineering has progressed rapidly in the United States, as well as in China," Wang said. "These rapid developments present unprecedented opportunities to biomedical engineering researchers in both countries."

Initially, research undertaken at the center will be mainly in the areas of neuro-engineering and neuroscience, medical imaging, tissue engineering, and biology in medicine. The center's offices and administrative functions initially will be funded by Tsinghua University, with programs such as academic exchange and symposia funded by both schools.