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Thursday, October 15, 2026
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Lehman Welcomes Chinese Healthcare Leaders for International Exchange
The delegation from Yunnan and members of Lehman's EDOL program celebrated the visit.
October 15, 2026
Healthcare leaders from China’s Yunnan province got a closer look at American approaches to healthcare education, management, and workforce development during an Oct. 7 visit to Lehman College, where they exchanged ideas with faculty, students, and alumni in the Schools of Education and Health Sciences, Human Services, and Nursing (HS2N).
The delegation of senior professionals from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University was in the United States to learn how American institutions educate healthcare professionals and manage services. Lehman was the only CUNY school on their itinerary, which also included visits to Harvard and Columbia medical schools.
The School of Education’s doctoral program in Organizational Leadership, Development and Change (EDOL) hosted the group, with recent graduates Christopher Mendez and Cynthia Franco sharing research that offered different perspectives on leadership and management in healthcare and social service organizations serving diverse populations.
Their work had particular relevance for the visitors. Yunnan, which borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, is an ethnically diverse region, and the presentations prompted questions and discussion about the challenges of leading diverse organizations.
“It was wonderful that our recent alums Drs. Mendez and Franco had the opportunity to share their EDOL dissertation research in an international forum,” said Betsy Kim, associate professor of Leadership Studies and EDOL program coordinator. “The delegation had a number of insightful questions about their research.”
The group also learned about Lehman’s nursing program and toured the new Bronx Community Hub, a partnership between HS2N and Bronx community organizations that provides health and wellness services.
“We are hopeful that this experience will lead to future opportunities for cultural exchange for the EDOL program and Lehman College,” Kim said. “It was truly emblematic of the interdisciplinary nature of our program in which we focus on organizational leadership from multiple disciplines.”