Ian Newman, professor in Educational Psychology, presented an invited lecture to the faculty and graduate students at Chongqing Medical University, College of Public Health, on Oct 14 in Chongqing, China. Newman was the first invited speaker under Chongqing Medical University’s new “Talent Introduction Program” designed to bring international experts to the campus. In addition to his public address, he spent several days working with graduate students on their research projects.
Newman’s lecture was titled “Future Public Health Progress Will Depend on Our Understanding Behavior and Culture” and was focused on emerging health issues in China. He noted that public health experts have conquered many infectious diseases, but now the disease challenges are more complex, often with aspects of human behavior and human culture being crucial factors in preventing disease. He urged the audience to look closely at Chinese cultural traditions and values as essential components of planning public health programs. To illustrate his suggestions, Newman compared Chinese alcohol culture with Western approaches to alcohol control.