“Belt and Road International Joint Laboratory on Traditional Medicine Innovation Research” established at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine

On August 16th, the Presidents' Forum 2024 of the Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine was held at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. During the meeting, the unveiling ceremony of the "Belt and Road International Joint Laboratory on Traditional Medicine Innovation Research" took place. The joint laboratory aims to promote communication and collaboration in traditional medicine innovation research among research institutions in the Belt and Road countries and regions, particularly among members of the Alliance.

The Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine was jointly initiated by seven institutions: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Sichuan Province, Ningxia Medical University, and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association. The Alliance currently includes more than 20 domestic and foreign universities and major top-tier hospitals. It aims to consolidate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research, education, and clinical practice institutions from Belt and Road countries and regions, train high-quality TCM professionals, promote the modernization and internationalization of TCM, and contribute to building a global community of health for all.

"A single tree makes no forest; one string makes no music. The innovation and development of TCM are timely, appropriate, and highly promising. The establishment of the 'Belt and Road International Joint Laboratory on Traditional Medicine Innovation Research' will pool top international research resources and facilitate academic exchanges and collaborative research in traditional medicine," said Zhang Zhongde, Vice President of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Dean of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in his speech. He expressed hope that this platform will promote the modernization and internationalization of traditional medicine and advance its application in disease prevention and treatment, research cooperation and innovation, talent training, and health management, contributing to the building of a global community of health for all.

In recent years, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine has actively promoted international cooperation and overseas services in TCM. It has received support as a Demonstration International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base from the Ministry of Science and Technology and as an International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base from the Guangdong Provincial Government. The hospital established the only joint laboratory in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and has been supported by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine's international cooperation projects for ten consecutive years.

The hospital collaborates on TCM research with internationally renowned medical institutions such as Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University in Sweden, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and Fulda University of Applied Sciences in Germany. It engages in research on major complex diseases, TCM scientific innovation, and talent training.

As one of the first national TCM service export bases, the hospital collaborates with medical institutions in Germany, Tajikistan, and other countries to promote the TCM culture internationally by deeply exploring its unique aspects. Additionally, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine actively participates in the construction of the Chinese Medicine Highlands in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, achieving significant results in collaboration with Hong Kong counterparts in integrating TCM with Western medicine, conducting scientific research, and cultivating talent.

(cnbayarea.org.cn & GDToday)