2007年8月9－13日，多伦多大学医学人类学代表团访问昆明。在中国加拿大研究会秘书处的协调下，8月11日，“中加医疗保健与民族文化”座谈会在昆明举行。多伦多大学卫生政策管理与评估系教授、国际医疗保健中心高级研究员保罗•威廉（Paul William）博士做了“加拿大的医疗保健体系”的演讲。代表团成员还有：莱尔森大学（Ryerson University）公共管理学院副教授Janet M. Lum 博士，多伦多大学国际医疗保健中心Ajay K.Gupta 博士。
云南民族大学副校长马丽娟教授会见并宴请了加拿大学者，欢迎多伦多大学学者访问昆明和云南民族大学。参加座谈会有：云南民族大学学报编辑部主编杨国才教授，校宣传部副部长杨和祥教授，中央民族大学博士生导师王庆仁教授，中国加拿大研究会副秘书长杜发春等10余人。
保罗•威廉教授介绍说，加拿大全民医疗保障体系的发展和完善开始于20世纪40年代末期。到70年代，加拿大各省和地区均已实现将私人医生门诊费用纳入公费医疗计划，从而形成了全国范围、全面公费医疗的保障体系。加拿大人称之为“国家医疗保险计划”（National Medical Care Plan），即为所有人提供各种必要的住院和门诊服务，各省或特区政府免费管理和提供这些服务，并且在联邦政府的资助下，负责医疗服务的费用支出。自从加拿大开始公费医疗制度以来，医疗服务和服务方式已经从依赖医院和医生的方式，转向诊所、初级医疗中心或社区医疗中心的护理和家庭护理方式；使用医疗设备和药物的治疗并介入推广公共卫生的方式。据加拿大健康信息学会的统计，医院开支依然在加拿大健康开支中占首位，2005为420亿加元（折人民币2986亿元），但医院开支在总的健康开支中的百分比从1975年的44.7%降低到2005年的29.9%。主要原因有两方面，一是强调门诊病人和社区保健；二是其它部分的飞速增长（如医药品开支）。
座谈会上，中加两国学者就“加拿大的医疗保障制度及其对中国的借鉴”进行了讨论。Janet M.Lum 教授和Ajay K.Gupta 博士认为，在加拿大政府的所有社会政策中，医疗保健制度也是最受重视的，加拿大人认为它是高品质生活的支柱和象征，真正体现了社会的公平、公正和团结。加拿大社会安定，企业更有竞争力，加拿大人良好的健康状况更提高了劳动生产率。《云南民族大学学报》编辑部主编杨国才教授介绍了云南民族大学有关医疗保健项目的研究情况。她说，国际人类学民族学联合会第16届世界大会将于2008年7月15－23日在昆明市召开，云南民族大学申报的“社会性别视角下少数民族妇女的健康与生态环境”专题会（论坛、分会），已获得大会筹委会通过，欢迎加拿大和中国学者参加本论坛，论文可发到这个信箱（guocaiyang@163.com）。加拿大学者对于中国的医疗保健制度尤其是少数民族地区如何把民族文化与医疗保健结合起来很感兴趣，表示愿意加强两国之间的学术联系，就共同感兴趣的研究项目（如少数民族文化如何促进医疗健康等）进行合作研究。
保罗•威廉教授一行是应北京大学医学院、昆明医学院和上海市卫生局的邀请访问中国的。代表团到达昆明前，在北京期间为中国卫生经济研究所做了题为“加拿大的医疗保健体系及其政策”的演讲。在昆明期间，代表团还访问了昆明医学院社区培训中心。离开昆明后，保罗•威廉教授一行还访问了上海市政府卫生局，最后从上海回国。
U. of T. Health Policy Scholars Visited Kunming
On August 9-13th, Invited by Kunming Medical University and Yunnan University for Nationalities (YUN), three health policy Professors from Toronto, Dr. Paul William, Dr. Janet M. Lum and Dr. Ajay K.Gupta, have visited Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, China. During this visit, a seminar on Canada’s Health Care System and Its Implication to China have been held in August 12 in Kunming, Dr. Paul William had a presentation on Canada’s Health Care System: An International Perspective for Chinese scholars from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and YUN.
Professor Ma Lijuan, Vice President of Yunnan University for Nationalities welcomed Canadian Professors. There were 10 scholars attended this seminar, Professor Yang Guocai who is Chief Editor of the Journal of YUN, Professor Yang Hexiang, the Vice Director of the CPC Promotion Department at YUN, Professor Wang Qingren from Central University for Nationalities in Beijing, Professor Du Fachun from CASS, etc. Scholars from both countries hope to strength bilateral academic ties and collaborations on medical care and ethnic culture. Professor Yang Guocai is organizing a workshop on Ethnic Minority Woman Health and Eco-Environment in the Gender Perspective, which is one of panels approved by the Organizing Committee of XVI World Congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES 2008). Interested percipients please send his/her abstract by email to Professor Yang Guocai (guocaiyang@163.com). XVI World Congress, to be held in Kunming, China from the 15th till the 23rd of July, 2008. The theme is “Humanity, Development and Cultural Diversity”. It is expected that more than 5,000 participants around the world will attend this congress. Currently, Canadian Professors preparing actively for this Congress. So far, the Organizing Committee of IUAES2008 has approved 12 academic sessions/panels proposed by Canadian scholars, including University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, Ryerson University, Policy Research Initiative, McGill University, University of Manitoba, University of Regina, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary, etc.
Dr. Paul William is a Professor from Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation Co-Chair, Canadian Research Network for Care in the Community (www.CRNCC.ca) and acts as Co-Director, Canadian Institutes for Health Research Team in Community Care and Health Human Resources. Dr. Janet M. Lum is Graduate Co-Director, Public Policy and Administration, Co-Chair, Canadian research network for care in the community Ryerson University. Dr. Ajay K.Gupta from University of Toronto now is a visiting scholar in Kunming Medical University. Before to Kunming, they have visited the National Health Economics Institute etc. in Beijing.