Commemorating the 125th Anniversary of the Yale-China Association // 纪念美国雅礼协会成立125周年

Commemorating the 125th Anniversary of the Yale-China Association

By CAO Ya

纪念美国雅礼协会成立125周年

曹 亚

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Yale-China Association and the 120th anniversary of Xiangya Hospital. Since Yale-China first came to Hunan in the early 20th century, its cooperation with Xiangya has spanned more than a century. The historical legacy of this cooperation has become a precious cultural resource.

今年是雅礼协会成立125周年，湘雅医院建院120周年。自上世纪初雅礼协会入湘开始，湘雅与雅礼协会的合作已逾百年。双方合作所形成的历史沉淀已演变成珍贵的文化资源。

In the early 1980s, Yale-China began sending foreign teachers to Xiangya. Besides teaching English, they gave English lectures to faculty and students every Wednesday evening in Room 12 on the North Campus. At that time, Xiangya’s teachers and students were eager to learn about the world beyond China, and these lectures opened a window onto that world. Among the first group of foreign teachers, the most striking was the blonde, blue-eyed Nancy Chapman, who would later become president of the Yale-China Association and form a friendship with Xiangya that lasted nearly 30 years.

上世纪80年代初期，雅礼协会开始向湘雅派遣外教，外教除了承担英语教学外，每周三晚在北院12教室面向师生做英语讲座。当时的湘雅师生渴望了解中国以外的世界，这些英语讲座为大家打开了一个了解世界的窗口。在第一批外教中，最引人注目的是金发碧眼的Nancy Chapman，她日后成为了美国雅礼协会的主席，与湘雅结下了近30年的友谊。

In 1998, Yale-China established the Chia Fellowship Program at Xiangya. Funded by the family of Mr. Chia, a New York-based Chinese American, through the Chia Foundation in the United States, it upheld the mission of “improving public health in Hunan through diverse health education projects while promoting the development of women health professionals.” Fellows were given the opportunity to work with Yale University professors. Over nearly 30 years, Xiangya has sent dozens of women professionals in nursing, public health, clinical medicine, mental health, and other fields to study at Yale. These outstanding scholars have all become key figures in their disciplines.

1998年，雅礼协会在湘雅设立了贾氏奖学金项目，该项目由在美国贾氏基金会的侨居纽约的贾老先生家庭出资，秉承“通过不同的健康教育项目提高湖南公共卫生水平，同时促进女性专业卫生人员的发展”的宗旨，受资助的人员获得机会与Yale大学教授合作。近30年来，湘雅共选派了数十名来自护理、公共卫生、临床医学、精神卫生等专业领域的女性专业人士赴Yale学习，这些优秀的学者都已成为所在学科的骨干。

Since 2002, Xiangya and Yale-China have co-hosted the annual conference of the Chia Fellowship Health Program, now in its 24th session. Over the years, the conferences have taken as their themes “Chronic Disease Control and Public Health,” “Nursing and Community Health,” “Public Health Assessment,” “Women in Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health,” and “Diabetes Prevention and Control,” creating an open new platform for learning and exchange.

从2002年起，湘雅和雅礼协会共同主办贾氏奖学金卫生项目年会，至今已是第24届。这些年会以“慢病控制与公共卫生”、“护理与社区卫生”、“公共卫生评估”、“女性与医学、护理及公共健康”、“糖尿病预防与控制”等为主题，形成了一个开放的学习交流新平台。

To help Chia Fellows who returned home put what they had learned into practice, the Chia Community Health Program was launched in 2005. In several communities in Changsha, it carried out school nutrition education, community mental health services, primary-school smoking prevention education, health care education for older adults, and HBV prevention and control awareness, attracting a group of Xiangya medical undergraduates as volunteers. Its social impact has gradually expanded. Since 2012, the Chia Program has further expanded to Fenghuang in Xiangxi, Hunan, to train local women Chia Fellows in medicine, nursing, and public health, creating a new model: Yale–Xiangya Chia Fellows–Xiangxi Fenghuang Chia Fellows.

为了让学成归国的贾氏学者将所学用于实践，于2005年开始又设立贾氏卫生社区项目，该项目在长沙市多个社区开展了学校营养宣教、社区精神卫生服务、小学控烟教育、社区老人健康保健教育、HBV防控知识宣传，吸引了一批湘雅医学本科生作为志愿者参与，其社会影响也逐渐扩大。从2012年开始，贾氏项目进一步拓展到湖南湘西凤凰，以培养当地从事医学、护理、公共健康领域的女性贾氏学者，形成Yale—湘雅贾氏学者—湘西凤凰贾氏学者的新模式。

In October 2006, with the support of Yale-China, a series of programs were launched, including scholarship programs, advanced nursing training, medical English teaching, key personnel training, residency training, and exchanges of medical students and residents. The English teaching program had two components: Xiangya foreign language teachers conducting visiting research at Yale, and Yale-China sending English teachers to help Xiangya improve its English teaching quality. The key personnel and residency training programs focused on designing a hospital-based residency training model for Xiangya that integrated medical ethics and professionalism throughout medical training, while strengthening medical, psychiatric nursing, and rural community public health education through exchanges and training involving students and senior experts. Under the residency program, Yale faculty came to Xiangya twice a year to provide guidance; meanwhile, medical students and senior experts from China and the United States carried out joint activities in China to promote health care development in rural Hunan. Beginning in 2009, Xiangya selected dozens of outstanding undergraduates to go to Yale for clinical clerkship exchanges.

2006年10月，在雅礼协会的支持下，奖学金项目、高级护理培训、医学英语教学、骨干人员培训、住院医师培训和医学生及住院医师交流等项目陆续开展，英语教学项目分为两类，一是湘雅的外语老师到Yale进行访问研究，二是雅礼协会派遣英语教师帮助湘雅改进英语教学质量。骨干人员培训及住院医生培训项目主要致力于为湘雅设计一个以医院为基础，将医学伦理与职业精神贯穿到整个医疗培训中的住院医生培训模式，同时通过各类学生与高级专家参与的交流与培训来加强医学、精神病护理以及农村社区公共卫生教育。住院医师项目安排Yale教师每年2次来湘雅指导，同时，来自中美双方的医学院学生和高级专家在中国联合开展活动，促进湖南农村地区的医疗卫生发展。从2009年开始，湘雅从优秀的在读本科生中选派了数十名赴Yale进行临床见习交流。

Since the early 1980s, Yale-China foreign teachers at Xiangya had lived in the Foreign Teachers’ Building on the North Campus. In 2005, the Changsha Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau listed the building as a modern protected building of Changsha. That year, we fully renovated it and installed an exhibition on the century-long cooperation between Yale-China and Xiangya. I wrote a brief preface for the exhibition: Since Yale-China came to Hunan and founded a hospital in the early 20th century, cooperation between Xiangya and Yale-China has spanned a century. This exchange and cooperation has not only advanced modern higher medical education and the training of medical talent; the historical legacy it has formed has also become a precious cultural resource. That resource is now growing into a new strength, enabling us, from a new starting point, to seek more fruitful paths and forms of cooperation and to build a more sincere partnership. During her visit with a delegation to attend the centennial celebration of Xiangya School of Nursing, Yale-China President Nancy Yao Maasbach made a special trip to this small building to view the exhibition. In 2017, with the Red Building of Xiangya Hospital as the main structure, five historic buildings, including the Foreign Teachers’ Building, were listed as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. Today, the Foreign Teachers’ Building has been renamed the Hume Building in memory of Mr. Hume, who came to Changsha more than a century ago to found Xiangya. This remarkable small building will serve as a vehicle for cooperation and exchange between Xiangya and Yale-China, carrying forward this century-spanning friendship.

从上世纪80年代初开始，雅礼协会来湘雅的外教一直住在北院外教楼里。2005年，长沙市文物局将湘雅北院外教楼列为长沙市近代保护建筑。当年，我们对这幢楼进行了全面的修缮，并在楼内布置了雅礼协会与湘雅百年合作展，我为这个展览写了简短的序言：从上世纪初雅礼协会入湘创办医院开始，湘雅与雅礼协会的合作已历时百年。这种交流与合作不仅促进了现代高等医学教育的发展与医学人才的培养，而且这种交流与合作所形成的历史沉淀已演变成珍贵的文化资源。这种资源正在发展成新的优势，使我们在新的起点上谋求更富有成效的合作途径与方式，建立更加真诚的合作关系。 雅礼协会主席Nancy Yao Maasbach女士率团来参加湘雅护理学院百年华诞庆典期间，专程到这栋小楼内参观了陈列展。2017年，以湘雅医院红楼为主体，连同“外教楼”五栋历史建筑被列为全国重点文保建筑。如今，外教楼已更名为“胡美楼”，以纪念一百多年前胡美先生来长沙创办湘雅的历史。这栋不同寻常的小楼将成为湘雅与雅礼协会合作与交流的载体，传承这份跨世纪的友谊。

In 2017, with the Red Building of Xiangya Hospital as the main structure (pictured above), five historic buildings, including the Foreign Teachers’ Building, were listed as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

2017年，以湘雅医院红楼为主体 (见上图)，连同“外教楼”五栋历史建筑被列为全国重点文保建筑。如今，外教楼已更名为“胡美楼”，以纪念一百多年前胡美先生来长沙创办湘雅的历史。

In June 2008, Yale-China President Nancy Chapman stepped down. We made a commemorative album especially for her and sent Professor Shu Chang of the Second Xiangya Hospital to Yale on behalf of Xiangya to attend the grand farewell dinner held by Yale-China for Nancy Chapman. On the title page of the album, I wrote: It is a miracle that a foreign friend should form nearly 30 years of friendship with a school. Years ago, Nancy traveled across the ocean from Yale to teach at Xiangya. Over nearly 30 years, as an old friend of Xiangya, Nancy has witnessed the tremendous changes in Changsha and the development of Xiangya, and she has made Changsha her second hometown. Her friendship and devotion have influenced many friends, promoted their friendly exchanges with Xiangya, and enhanced mutual understanding and trust. In particular, during her 14 years as president of Yale-China, Nancy gave Xiangya her full support and help, which moved us deeply and benefited Xiangya greatly.

2008年6月雅礼协会主席Nancy Chapman离任，我们特地为她制作了一本纪念相册，并委派湘雅二医院的舒畅教授代表湘雅专程到Yale参加雅礼协会为Nancy Chapman举办的隆重的欢送宴会；在纪念册的扉页上，我写道：一位外国友人，与一所学校结下近30年的友谊, 这是一个奇迹。当年Nancy远涉重洋，从Yale来到湘雅任教。近30年来，Nancy作为湘雅的老朋友，目睹了长沙的巨变以及湘雅的发展，她已把长沙当成了第二故乡。她的这种友情和情结影响了许多朋友，促进了他们与湘雅的友好交往，增进了相互了解和信任。特别是担任雅礼协会主席14年来，Nancy更是全力支持和帮助湘雅，使我们深受感动，使湘雅受益匪浅。

Of course, a major event that witnessed the friendship between Xiangya and Yale-China was in 2001. On the centennial of Yale-China, Yale President Professor Levin led a hundred guests to visit Xiangya. The cedar tree of friendship that President Levin planted on the North Campus of Xiangya that year is now luxuriant, upright, and spreading—a living witness to the growth of the friendship between Xiangya and Yale-China.

当然，见证湘雅与雅礼协会友谊的重要事件是2001年。雅礼协会成立一百年之际，Yale大学校长莱文教授率百位嘉宾访问了湘雅。当年莱文校长在湘雅北院校园种下的友谊之树雪松现在已是枝繁叶茂挺拔舒展，这颗雪松见证了湘雅与雅礼协会友谊的发展。

In 2012, I visited Yale-China again with a delegation from the Xiangya Culture Research Association and attended a meeting of the Yale-China Board of Trustees. In 2014, on the centennial of Xiangya School of Medicine, a 26-member delegation from the Yale-China Association flew to Changsha specially to attend the celebration. Martha F. Brooks, Chair of the Yale-China Board of Trustees, delivered a warm speech on behalf of the Association. She noted that over the past century, Yale-China had successfully opened a door for mutual learning and development between the Chinese and American peoples, and that the bond between Xiangya and Yale-China, after a century, remained as fresh as ever. At the centennial celebration, Martha presented Xiangya with a special gift: a wooden bowl made from an ancient Yale tree, symbolizing enduring innovation, cooperation, and friendship between Xiangya and Yale-China. The century-long cooperation between Xiangya and Yale-China has borne witness to a special, legendary friendship between China and the United States that spans a century. That same year, the Yale-China Association awarded me the inaugural Yale-China Award in recognition of my contributions to developing the relationship between Yale-China and Xiangya and enhancing friendship between China and the United States. Martha Finn Brooks, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and President Nancy Yao Maasbach presented me with the medal. I was delighted beyond measure to receive this honor.

2012年我随湘雅文化研究会代表团再次访问了雅礼协会并出席了雅礼协会董事会会议。2014年湘雅医学院百年华诞，美国雅礼协会26人代表团专程飞抵长沙参加庆典。雅礼协会董事会主席Martha F.Brooks代表雅礼协会发表热情洋溢的致辞，她提到，雅礼协会在过去一百年里，成功地为中美人民之间互相学习和发展打开了一扇门，湘雅与雅礼协会的情谊，沉淀百年依然历久弥新。在湘雅医学院百年庆典上Martha赠送了一份特别的礼物给湘雅：来自耶鲁古树的木碗，以示湘雅与雅礼协会永蕴创新、合作和友谊。湘雅与雅礼协会百年合作见证了中美之间的一段跨越百年传奇的特别的友谊。同年，美国雅礼协会授予我首届“Yale-China Award”,以表彰我为发展雅礼协会与湘雅的关系和增进中美双方的友谊所做的贡献。雅礼协会董事会主席Martha Finn Brooks和Nancy Yao Maasbach会长为我颁发奖牌，我为获得这份殊荣倍感高兴！

In 2016, Mr. David Youtz, then president of the Yale-China Association, conveyed New Haven’s wish to establish a sister-city relationship with a Chinese city. New Haven is home to Yale University and the Yale-China Association. I helped make the connection. In October 2016, Changsha and New Haven signed a letter of intent for sister-city relations; in 2017, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation; and in April 2018, Changsha and New Haven formally signed a sister-city agreement. The two cities will carry out exchanges and cooperation in medical research, higher education, culture, biotechnology, and other fields, elevating the friendship between Xiangya and Yale-China to a new level between the two cities.

2016年时任雅礼协会会长的David Youtz先生转达美国纽海文市希望与中国城市结为友好城市。纽海文市是耶鲁大学及雅礼协会所在地，我牵线搭桥，2016年10月长沙市与纽海文市签署友好城市意向书，2017年双方签署友好合作备忘录，2018年4月长沙市与纽海文市正式签署友好城市协议书，双方将在医疗研究、高等教育、文化、生物科技等领域开展交流合作，将湘雅与雅礼协会的友谊提升到了两座城市间的新高度。

I sincerely wish the tree of friendship between Xiangya and Yale-China everlasting green. My heartfelt thanks to all who have worked and devoted themselves to keeping this evergreen tree thriving.

衷心祝愿湘雅与雅礼协会的友谊之树常青。感谢所有为这棵常青树做出努力与奉献的人。

— CAO Ya

Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University

October 12, 2026

中南大学湘雅医学院

曹 亚

2026年10月12日