In 2009, the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Shanghai Municipal Population and Family Planning Commission (SHPFPC), the department of Shanghai’s municipal government responsible for the research and implementation of the city’s medium-term, long-term and annual plans related to population and family planning. Headed by Mme Xie, one of SHPFPC’s responsibilities is to determine and execute the scientific research planning for population and family planning.
Facilitated by Shanghai Union Investment (Canada) Ltd, the purpose of the MOU was to outline ways to develop and deliver early child development programs throughout Shanghai. Working together, SHPFPC, as represented by the Shanghai Population Research Institute, and The University of British Columbia, as represented by Drs. Clyde Hertzman, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, and Ziba Vaghri, Research Associate and Director of International Research and Initiatives Program for HELP, determined a mutual interest in the following cooperation programs and objectives:
- To set up a scientific early child development program base in Shanghai,
- To help establish standards of service and to help design an evaluation system for Shanghai counterparts in the field of early child development and help develop family and parental guidance materials, and
- To advise on the criteria for establishing model centers offering early child development services. Standards and the evaluation system of these services will conform to the criteria adopted by the World Health Organization and relevant organizations of the United Nations.
In October 2010, Drs. Hertzman and Vaghri, travelled to Shanghai and conducted a situational assessment, which included visits to a number of early child development sites as well as information interviews with academics and government officials. Upon completion of this trip, Drs. Hertzman and Vaghri, in consultation with the Shanghai Population Research Institute and Stephen Owen, UBC’s Vice President of External, Legal and Community Relations, have started to prepare a proposal outlining the activities that will serve to see the creation of the above mentioned programs and objectives.
