The Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth will go international for the first time in OU history this fall with a project that will build a sustainable business model to prevent and reverse the symptoms of cataracts in China.

The project in China was brought to light by Dr. Lloyd Hildebrand, the cofounder and president/CEO of Inoveon Corporation. Hildebrand is an associate professor of ophthalmology at the OU Dean McGee Eye Institute.

“Dr. Hildebrand has participated in and led several voluntary missions to treat eye diseases in China over the past four years and is an alumnus of the program himself as a mentor for team Nantiox in the spring of 2008.” said program director Mariana Barrientos.

Hildebrand is considered the “inventor” for this project.

This project plans to bring inexpensive cataract surgeries to 1 million Chinese people by the year 2015. In China, there are currently no cataract surgeries performed due to cost and poor health care.

Intern and accounting, managing information systems and Chinese senior Patrick Luong said the Chinese people suffering from cataracts don’t really think the surgeries or doctors could help them.

Team leader Lucas Rice said the CCEW will focus on the Szechwan province.

“There is a big barrier between the urban and rural people. It’s probably going to be the rural we’ll be focusing more on, but we’re still studying the demographics,” said Rice, industrial engineering junior.

Much of the project is in the beginning stages, along with finding a business to partner with.

“There are four international businesses we’re looking at,” Luong said. “We will most likely partner with Project Vision in Hong Kong because they’re doing something similar, but there are a lot of questions left to answer.”

Luong said these questions include the cost of supplies, who supplies what and why they operate the way they do. These questions and more must be answered before finding a suitable business partner.

This project is a pilot for the extension of the center’s brand into the area of social entrepreneurship.

“Successful ventures such as the Aravind Eye Care System in India have proven that [Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth]’s goal is achievable and can be executed without dependence on charity,” Barrientos said.

She said the CCEW is funding the project. Interns are also finding funding opportunities for the launch of ventures aimed at improving ophthalmic health care in China and around the world through international, national and Chinese foundations.

If this project proves to be a success, the CCEW plans to continue with more international projects.

“As long as they provide the right opportunity for impact and the right combination of available resources, committed leadership and a viable technology is in place,” Barrientos said.