By Ma Qiong

　　Established in 1989, the Artemisinin Anti-Malaria Medical Aid Team of GZUCM is currently the only Chinese medical aid team dedicated to using artemisinin to prevent and treat malaria overseas. With more than 40 members, this team has been rooted in Africa and Oceania for many years, and their independently developed anti-malarial drugs have benefited over 30 million patients, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global fight against malaria.

　　The outstanding achievements of the medical aid team are just a vivid example of GZUCM's efforts to promote the internationalization of Chinese medicine. For decades, GZUCM has been committed to bringing Chinese medicine as the valuable heritage to the world through international cooperation in education, research, and healthcare, continuously enhancing the international influence and competitiveness of Chinese medicine, and contributing the unique strengths to building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.

Build a Global Research Network

　　According to Guo Hong, the Vice President of GZUCM, to further implement the international level of Chinese medicine research and promote global health development, GZUCM actively constructs a global research network and establishes long-term cooperation mechanisms with world-class universities and medical research institutions to jointly drive the innovative of Chinese medicine science.

　　The university has formed a strong alliance with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarding institution, the Karolinska Institute, and Uppsala University in Sweden, jointly establishing the "China-Sweden Joint Research Base of Chinese medicine." This base is the first joint Chinese medicine research institution set up in a European high education institution and marks an important milestone in the international scientific research cooperation. Leveraging the advantageous resources of the three institutions, the base conducts a series of cutting-edge international scientific research in Sweden, including the prevention and treatment of immune-related diseases with Chinese medicine, the development of new drugs, and the European policy research of Chinese herbal medicine.

　　The collaboration between GZUCM and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia has led to the establishment of the "China-Australia International?Research Centre for Chinese medicine." Since its inception, the center has published approximately 120 co-authored SCI papers and 35 volumes of clinical evidence-based series (including 29 English monographs and 6 Chinese monographs), systematically organizing and rigorously evaluating ancient and modern evidence for 29 Chinese medicine-dominant diseases. These achievements have showcased the unique charm and clinical value of Chinese medicine internationally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) featuring a special introduction on this topic. 

　　Collaboration with Utrecht University in the Netherlands has introduced cutting-edge scientific research techniques to GZUCM, such as Single Cell Mass Cytometry (CyTOF) and integrative multi-omics bioinformatics analysis. The application of these technologies has filled a gap in organoid research in Chinese medicine and enriched research methods, enhancing research standards. The collaborative team published groundbreaking research findings in 2023 in the top-tier international journal "EMBO Molecular Medicine," under the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), providing new perspectives and approaches for studying the mechanisms of autoimmune diseases and drug targets. 

Explore New Paths for Innovation

　　On the evening of March 22, GZUCM hosted a significant event, ie. the inaugural meeting of the Overseas Alumni Association, held both online and offline. During the meeting, Academician Liu Liang quoted an ancient saying, "A towering tree must have its roots; water surrounding the mountains must have its source," to inspire each alumnus: the alma mater is not only a cradle for acquiring knowledge and skills but also the starting point for aspirations and dreams. 

　　Notably, the organizational structure of the Overseas Alumni Association has taken shape, covering 12 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Europe, forming a global network of Chinese medicine alumni. The newly established alumni associations in Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and the Macau Student Exchange Association in 2024 have strengthened the network. 

　　In the journey of promoting Chinese medicine culture globally, besides relying on the unique and powerful bond of the alumni association, GZUCM actively practices its core tenets of "inheritance, promotion, service, and innovation." Leveraging the advantages of cultural resources, the university sends over 200 experts and scholars abroad each year for academic exchanges or lectures, bringing Chinese medcine culture and Chinese traditional culture overseas. 

　　Meanwhile, the university closely collaborates with governments, professional cultural dissemination agencies, and mainstream media to construct a comprehensive media matrix, creating a multi-dimensional and integrated communication system. From the health series in "National Treasure Archives" to the short videos "Guangdong Chinese medicine," and the English documentaries "Healing Guangdong" and "Chinese Medicine Doctors in Guangdong", high-quality cultural products in multiple languages and formats allow global audiences to deeply understand the long history and brilliant achievements of Chinese medicine. 

　　Keeping up with contemporary trends, the university actively participates in the "Chinese medicine Internet Celebrity" cultivation plan, using new media platforms to expand communication channels, making Chinese medicine culture more accessible to younger audiences. Additionally, it fully leverages the resources of the Guangdong Chinese medicine Museum to conduct relative science popularization services and international dissemination.

Integrate Western and Chinese Medical Wisdom 

　　It is worth mentioning that from 2015 to 2023, GZUCM successfully established seven national-level Chinese medicine overseas centers and five national-level international cooperation bases worldwide, securing a total of RMB 15.438 million yuan in national funding. This achievement not only acknowledges the efforts and contributions of the university but also marks an important milestone in the internationalization of Chinese medicine.

　　Among these initiatives, the Artemisinin Anti-Malaria Research and Promotion Project stands out as a major highlight. The artemisinin compound developed by GZUCM has not only been included in the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of recommended medications but has also received patent protection in 40 countries. It has been widely used in several malaria-endemic countries, successfully helping tens of millions of people alleviate their suffering.

　　GZUCM's Artemisinin Anti-Malaria team actively responds to the "Belt and Road Initiative," delving into malaria-endemic regions in Asia and Africa to provide high-quality medical services. By training local medical personnel and promoting prevention and treatment concepts, they have effectively enhanced the malaria control capabilities of the recipient countries.

　　In 2023, GZUCM and its affiliated hospitals took the lead in establishing the Belt and Road Alliance for Chinese medicine, which includes over 20 universities and big tertiary hospitals from both China and abroad. In August 2024, the "Belt and Road International Joint Laboratory on Traditional Medicine Innovation Research" was established at the university's Second Affiliated Hospital. The laboratory aims to gather top international research forces to jointly explore the modernization and internationalization of traditional medicine. At the same time, GZUCM, based in the Greater Bay Area and looking globally, integrates Chinese medicine resources from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and utilizes multiple professional alliances such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Chinese medicine Alliance to establish the Greater Bay Area Chinese Medicine Innovation Center, continuously promoting the modernization and international cooperation of Chinese medicine.

Forge a New Team of International Talents

　　As Traditional Chinese medicine gains international recognition, GZUCM is actively responding to national strategies by accelerating the establishment of a new framework for international education. It is dedicated to cultivating high-level international talents in Chinese medicine, further enhancing the reputation of the "Study at GZUCM" brand in global education.

　　To this end, GZUCM leverages its geographic proximity of being close to Southeast Asia and actively cooperates with countries and regions that have a better foundation for the development of Chinese medicine to cultivate talents. Since 2007, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, GZUCM and Singapore College of Chinese Medicine have jointly offered a seven-year bachelor's degree program in Chinese medicine. This program has not only become the largest and most influential Chinese medicine educational cooperation project between China and Singapore but also witnessed deep cooperation and mutual development in the field of Chinese medicine education.

　　Meanwhile, in recent years, GZUCM has taken the initiative to cater to the Belt and Road initiative and has established 33 part-time postgraduate teaching sites in 15 countries and regions, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It has also signed cooperation agreements with renowned universities and Chinese medicine institutions in Russia, Chile, Portugal, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other countries and regions to carry out a variety of cooperation projects.

　　In addition to academic education cooperation, the school also organizes a variety of short-term Chinese medicine education and training programs. Up to now, a total of 1,189 short-term training courses have been organized, covering more than 40 countries and regions, with over 12,000 participants attending the training courses.

　　In the era of globalization, GZUCM has fully leveraged the advantages of the internet to create a global online teaching platform for Chinese medicine. Through the platform, GZUCM’s high-quality Chinese medicine educational resources can benefit students around the world. Currently, the platform has established 33 overseas teaching sites in 15 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan, providing convenient learning channels for Chinese medicine enthusiasts in these areas.

To Lead the Formulation of International Standards

　　GZUCM understands that cooperation with international organizations is key to promoting the standardization of Chinese medicine. To this end, GZUCM has actively cooperated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish the International Research Institute on Clinical Guidelines for Traditional Medicine. The establishment of this platform not only provides an important vehicle for Chinese medicine to participate in the research and development of international standards but also further enhances its role in evaluating the current status and progress of clinical guidelines and related standards in the field of international traditional medicine. By selecting and evaluating the evidence of clinical guidelines and related standards from various regions or countries and forming recommendation reports, GZUCM is strongly involved in WHO's standard-setting, demonstrating that Chinese medicine has a model effect in the field of standards and norms construction.

　　Vice President Guo Hong pointed out that in the specific practice standardization, GZUCM has achieved remarkable results. It has not only successfully hosted the GRADE Training Course for Chinese Medicine Guideline Methodology and the Second International Symposium on Guidelines and Standards for Traditional Medicine, but also established the Working Committee of International Clinical Standards of Chinese Medicine. These efforts have significantly enhanced Chinese medicine's say and influence on the international stage.

　　It is particularly worth mentioning that the "Guidelines for the Treatment of Primary Headache with Chinese medicine," which was led by GZUCM, has been officially included in the U.S. National Guideline of Clinics (NGC). This milestone achievement marks the first and only Chinese medicine clinical practice guideline to be included in NGC, signifying a high level of international recognition for Chinese medicine in relative field. 

　　In the process of internationalization of Chinese medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine has effectively enhanced the global influence of traditional Chinese medicine by deepening international cooperation and leading the development of standards, opening up a new path for the international development of Chinese medicine. 

　　In the future, GZUCM will continue to uphold the concept of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation, and work hand in hand with other countries and regions around the world to jointly promote Chinese medicine onto a broader global stage.