MUST 26th Anniversary Series Events: MUST Successfully Hosts the 2nd Macao Summit Forum on the Modernization and Internationalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of the “Macao WANG Qi Academy”

Group photo of the 2nd Macao Summit Forum on the Modernization and Internationalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of the “Macao WANG Qi Academy”

To celebrate the 26th anniversary of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), the 2nd Macao Summit Forum on the Modernization and Internationalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of the “Macao WANG Qi Academy”, organized by the Faculty of Chinese Medicine under the Medical Sciences Division of MUST, was grandly held on the afternoon of 27 March at the N101 Auditorium of MUST. The event brought together renowned experts and scholars in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from Mainland China, Macao, and overseas, as well as representatives from government departments, university leaders, distinguished guests, academy participants, faculty members, and students, for in-depth exchanges on the modernization, internationalization, and interdisciplinary development of TCM. During the opening ceremony of the forum, plaque unveiling ceremony of the “Macao WANG Qi Academy” was also held. Witnessed by representatives of the competent authorities, university leadership, and Professor WANG Qi, the Academy was officially inaugurated, marking the establishment of the first WANG Qi Academy outside Mainland China, providing a new platform for high-level TCM talent cultivation, international study and training cooperation, and the global development of Chinese medicine.

Plaque unveiling ceremony of the “Macao WANG Qi Academy”

Other distinguished guests attending the event included Professor WANG Qi, National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tenured Professor of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Chief Academic Advisor of the Macao WANG Qi Academy; Mr. CHAN Iok Wai, Acting Deputy Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR; Professor MO Hui, Representative of the Health Bureau of the Macao SAR and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macao); Professor LIU Baoyan of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences; Professor Dennis CHANG of Western Sydney University; Professor LI Shaoping of the University of Macau; Professor Graça Soveral of the University of Lisbon; Professor Gerhard Litscher of the Swiss University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Professor ZHAI Lixiang, President of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University; Professor FU Jiyang, President of Shenzhen Technology University; Professor SUN Xiulan, Vice President of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine; Professor CHEN Letian, Vice President of South China Agricultural University; Professor WANG Lin, Vice President of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; and Professor LI Shaojie, Party Secretary of Zhuhai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. MUST representatives in attendance included Chair Professor Jian-Kang ZHU, President of MUST; Dr. CHEN Ji Min, Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of the University Council of MUST; Chair Professor Paul Kwong Hang TAM, Vice President of MUST; Chair Professor JIANG Zhihong, Vice President of MUST; Chair Professor Yi Zhun ZHU, Vice President and Director of School of Pharmacy of MUST; as well as University Council Members Ms. SU Hsiang Mei and Ms. MA Hoi Sun, together with representatives from the TCM profession.

Professor MO Hui, Representative of the Health Bureau of the Macao SAR and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macao), delivers remarks

At the ceremony, Professor MO Hui, Representative of the Health Bureau of the Macao SAR and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macao), delivered the opening remarks. She noted that “the Macao SAR Government has consistently adhered to a people-centered approach to health and has actively leveraged Macao’s unique advantages as “One Centre, One Platform, and One Base” to promote the systematic development of TCM in areas such as institutional development, standard-setting, talent cultivation, and international cooperation. She added that the forum and the establishment of the Macao WANG Qi Academy not only highlighted Macao’s role as a platform for academic exchange and international collaboration in TCM, but would also inject new momentum into the cultivation of high-level talent and the development of the big health industry.”

Chair Professor Jian-Kang ZHU, President of MUST, delivers the welcome speech

Chair Professor Jian-Kang ZHU, President of MUST, then delivered the welcome address. He said that TCM, as a treasure of Chinese civilization, carries profound cultural heritage and also bears an important mission to benefit the future and the world. He emphasized that promoting the modernization and internationalization of TCM is not only a response to the call of the times, but also to the needs of the nation, the responsibilities of Macao, and the mission of the University. President ZHU added that MUST will continue to rely on the State Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine, together with its multidisciplinary strengths in medicine, pharmacy, and public health, to deepen the integration of TCM with modern technology, artificial intelligence, evidence-based research, standardization systems, and international education, and to contribute more of Macao’s strength and MUST’s strength to the modernization and internationalization of TCM.

Professor WANG Qi Delivers Remarks

Professor WANG Qi, National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tenured Professor of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Chief Academic Advisor of the Macao WANG Qi Academy, then delivered remarks. He stated that the establishment of the Macao WANG Qi Academy marks an important new starting point for the inheritance, innovation, and development of TCM, and is also the first step in extending the WANG Qi Academy model beyond Mainland China, making it of far-reaching significance. He further noted that the Academy will adopt “study, practice, and integration” as its core training approach, leverage Macao’s unique role as a meeting point of Chinese and Western cultures, connect with the Mainland, and face the world, so as to promote talent cultivation, academic exchange, and research translation in TCM, and contribute to bringing Chinese medicine to the world for the benefit of human health.

The guests spoke highly of MUST’s efforts and achievements in TCM education, research, and international cooperation, and expressed high expectations for the future development of the Macao WANG Qi Academy. Chair Professor Jian-Kang ZHU, President of MUST, then presented the letter of appointment to Professor WANG Qi as Chief Academic Advisor of the Macao WANG Qi Academy. Afterwards, Professor WANG Qi presented letters of appointment to Professor SUN Zhiguang, Dean of the Macao WANG Qi Academy, Professor WU Qibiao, Vice-Dean of the Academy, as well as to a number of Honorary Distinguished Professors.The establishment of the Macao WANG Qi Academy will capitalize on Macao’s unique geographical and policy advantages to build an international platform for study, training, and collaboration in TCM and big health. The Academy will recruit participants from China and abroad, invite leading global experts and scholars as distinguished professors for teaching and training, and develop into an international base and exchange platform for high-level TCM talent cultivation. During the recruitment period, applications were received enthusiastically from around the world. Ultimately, 40 outstanding TCM professionals from more than ten countries and regions were selected as the inaugural cohort of the Macao WANG Qi Academy, and have already participated in the first round of centralized training and study either onsite or online.

The summit forum also featured keynote lectures by leading scholars from China, Switzerland, Australia, Portugal, and Macao, including Professor WANG Qi, Professor Gerhard Litscher of the Swiss University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor LIU Baoyan of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Professor Dennis CHANG of Western Sydney University, Professor LI Shaoping of the University of Macau, and Professor Graça Soveral of the University of Lisbon. These distinguished scholars shared the latest academic developments, rich research experience, and profound insights in the field of TCM.

During the preparation for the forum, the Medical Sciences Division of MUST also signed a memorandum of understanding with Western Sydney University, while the Faculty of Chinese Medicine of MUST signed a formal cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon. These developments will further deepen collaboration with leading international institutions in fields such as TCM, medicine, pharmacy, and public health, and further expand the global development space for Chinese medicine.

Backed by the Motherland and connected to the world, Macao is a unique meeting point of Chinese and Western cultures and an important window and bridge for Chinese medicine to go global. Over the years, MUST has actively promoted education, scientific research, clinical translation, and international cooperation in Chinese medicine, continuously leveraging Macao’s strengths to build a high-level international exchange platform for TCM. As one of the major events in MUST’s 26th anniversary celebration series, this forum not only continued the success of the inaugural edition, but also further gathered wisdom and resources from home and abroad to explore new pathways for the inheritance, innovation, and international development of TCM. The successful hosting of the summit forum and the establishment of the Macao WANG Qi Academy not only demonstrated MUST’s proactive role in advancing the modernization and internationalization of TCM, but also laid a solid foundation for the Academy’s future development in high-level talent cultivation, academic exchange, and international cooperation. Looking ahead, MUST will continue to capitalize on Macao’s distinctive role as a platform for Chinese-Western cultural exchange, promote the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine, and support its further development worldwide.