First-time Enrollment Surge in the Department of Chinese Medicine! NYCU’s Active Visits to Universities in South Korea and Hong Kong Foster Exchange, Boosting Discipline[...]

Translated by Chance Lai
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The first-time enrollment in the Department of Chinese Medicine (DCM) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) has garnered widespread attention. With only 10 available slots, the department received 626 applicants, resulting in a mere 1.6% acceptance rate, making it the most sought-after subject at NYCU.

President Chi-Hung Lin and the faculty team of DCM have actively visited relevant universities in Hong Kong and South Korea to aid in the development of DCM and provide students with a broader academic perspective and exchange platform. They engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges regarding medical education, clinical research, and healthcare services.

Breaking Tradition: Cultivating Cross-disciplinary "New Chinese Medicine Practitioners"

NYCU's Department of Chinese Medicine is set to break from traditional models in talent cultivation, focusing primarily on fostering talent within hospital systems and nurturing new Chinese Medicine practitioners with cross-disciplinary expertise.

Due to the insufficient research capacity and faculty in the domestic field of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as early as 1991, the predecessor of NYCU, the Yang Ming School of Medicine, established the Institute of Traditional Medicine. After years of establishment and cultivation in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of the Department of Chinese Medicine at NYCU last year. This year marks the official commencement of enrollment, with future students primarily interning at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Besides Taiwan and China, Hong Kong and South Korea are two Asian regions with a long-standing history of establishing departments of Chinese Medicine. Particularly noteworthy is the School of Korean Medicine at Pusan National University, which, like NYCU's Department of Chinese Medicine, is the country's first national university department of Korean medicine. Its founding principles align closely with those of our institution.

Last week, a group including Professors Fang-Pey Chen, Chung-Hua Hsu, Yeng-Ying Kung, and Tung-Yi Lin, along with President Chi-Hung Lin and Taiwan's representative in Pusan Cheng-Kai Guo, visited the School of Korean Medicine, an important national institution in South Korea, in Pusan. Professor Ping-Che Shen, the school's dean, introduced the teaching plans and facilities of the Korean Medicine Department at Pusan National University and described how they align with government policies, providing valuable insights for the future Department of Chinese Medicine at NYCU.

Collaborating with Universities in South Korea and Hong Kong: Inspiring New Perspectives in Chinese Medicine Education

Additionally, we visited Kyung Hee University, which has a history spanning over a century and is also the first Korean Medicine School in South Korea, to discuss potential collaborations. President Chi-Hung Lin expressed that this visit contributes to the Department of Chinese Medicine by drawing insights from Korea's experiences in teaching, curriculum planning, and research. Furthermore, the exchange with top Korean institutions of Korean Medicine lays a foundation for future collaboration between both parties.

President Chi-Hung Lin mentioned that last year, the Department of Chinese Medicine visited the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and the School of Chinese Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They are actively establishing collaborative relationships with relevant departments across Asia, promoting international exchange and interaction in Chinese medicine, and further expanding the global perspectives of faculty and students in the Department of Chinese Medicine.

Chinese Medicine is a unique aspect of Chinese culture and a crucial component of Taiwan's soft power. Our newly established Department of Chinese Medicine aims not only to cultivate "New Chinese Medicine Practitioners" through interdisciplinary courses and smart healthcare but also to pave the way for the internationalization of Chinese Medicine in Taiwan and establish cross-border academic bridges.

The Department of Chinese Medicine visited the Korean Medical Hospital affiliated with Pusan National University.