On February 26, 2014, a delegation of professors from the University of Rochester, including Professor Eric D. Caine, the Director of Psychiatry and a visiting professor at our School of Public Health, along with Vice Chair of Psychiatry Dr. Yeates Conwell, and Associate Professor Kimberly A. Van Orden, visited our university for academic exchange. Invited by Dean Xiao Shuiyuan, the delegation engaged in fruitful discussions during their visit.

During this period, Professors Conwell and Van Orden delivered two captivating academic lectures, introducing the latest developments in the theoretical and research methods of crisis intervention and suicide prevention. As of now, our university has sent two young faculty members and one doctoral student from the School of Public Health, as well as one young faculty member from the Mental Health Research Institute of Xiangya Second Hospital, to receive training in mental health services and suicide prevention research at the University of Rochester. Additionally, this year, one young faculty member and one doctoral student from our School of Public Health will further their studies at the university, supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

During the visit, Professor Eric D. Caine and his delegation held an academic discussion with Professor Xiao Shuiyuan, the Dean of Xiangya School of Public Health, and the research team led by Professor Xiao. The team provided updates on recent learning and research progress, and both parties discussed further cooperation in the field of "public mental health." They reached a consensus on introducing the mature "gatekeeper" model from the United States into community mental health services in China, aiming to promote the development of mental health services in our communities.

Additionally, Professor Eric D. Caine held academic exchanges with Professor Li Lingjiang from the Mental Health Research Institute of Xiangya Second Hospital and Associate Professor Chen Shulin from the Department of Psychology at Zhejiang University, who was visiting at the same time. The visit was a significant step towards enhancing cooperation and fostering development in the field of mental health research and services.