Annual report 03-2016 to 03-2017

1. Please briefly describe the progress made in the implementation of your agreed workplan as WHO collaborating centre during the past 12 months (or the reporting period listed above). Please report on how each workplan activity was implemented, if any outputs have been delivered, if any results have been achieved and if any difficulties have been encountered during this time . If an activity has previously been completed, has not started yet, or been placed on hold, please indicate this.

Activity 1

Title: Promote the public understanding of TM practice and products

Description: Traditional forms of medicine are normally used in a holistic context involving lifestyle changes, customers need to be aware of the risks and benefits of traditional medicine practice and products to make informed decisions about their health choice. The activity intends to introduce Chinese Medicine through Confucius Institute, a collaborative project with RMIT University in Australia established to promote the study of Chinese culture and language.

The center continued to explore new modes of combining Chinese language teaching together with Chinese medicine by setting up the Chinese Language in a Chinese Medicine Clinical Setting course in the Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute(CMCI). The course was well received by RMIT students who intend to complete TCM clinical practice in Nanjing.

The Chinese Medicine Culture Salon were held four times last year with the aim to provide a communication platform for practitioners of Chinese medicine and western medicine as well as the local public. The CMCI organized various activities including regular visits to Chinese Medicine Herbal Garden for RMIT staff/students and external visitors, free quality Chinese medicine consultation and treatments in the teaching clinic, Chinese Materia Medica Photo Exhibition, Chinese Medicine Knowledge Competition and Taiji Boxing Training. The cultural activities contributed to enhancing the understanding of traditional medicine among local residents.

Moreover, the CMCI initiated TCM health-care projects combined with Chinese culture among local communities. The TCM health-care lectures, Taiji boxing training projects were welcomed as fixed projects by several communities. The CMCI won 2016 Outstanding Volunteer of Whittlesea Community.

Through the above activities, the understanding and appreciation of Chinese Medicine embedded in Chinese culture have been enhanced for all walks of life in Australia.

Activity 2

Title: Develop and provide training programs and opportunities of TM

Description: It is important that traditional medicine providers have sufficient knowledge to assess advantages and limitations, and have confidence in the quality, safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine. The activity intends to develop diverse education programs in traditional medicine and provide training opportunities as appropriate at the request of WHO Headquarters and Regional Office for health care providers and relevant researchers at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine.

Basically, the Center provides international students with three types of TCM education, which are long-term degree training program, short-term certificate training program and advanced training program for TCM practitioners. In the last year, there were 536 international students involved in long-term training program, 508 involved in short-term training program and 26 involved in advanced training program respectively. Besides, various methods have been introduced by the center to encourage the development of practical skills for students. As such, clinical observation and practice are well arranged during the training period.

Moreover, our center has collaborated with overseas universities on TCM degree education including Western Sydney University, RMIT University in Australia, John & Jenny TCM College in Canada, Shulan TCM College in the UK, and Switzerland Higher College of TCM.

Besides, our center has been actively engaged in community doctor training. Since 2014, 12 affiliated hospitals have been identified as the first batch of resident doctor standardized training bases of TCM category, 17 affiliated hospitals been identified as the first batch of general doctor standardized training bases (clinical training base) of TCM category by China’s State Administration of TCM.

Activity 3

Title: Strengthen working relations with WHO/HQ, WHO/RO and other WHO CCs

Description: WHO Executive Board encourages WHO CCs to develop working relations with other centres by creating or joining collaborative networks. Region or country specific efforts have also been included in this network. For better alignment with WHO programs, the activity intends to introduce new synergies and peer-to-peer opportunities for WHO CCs through network establishment within and between countries.

In the last year, the center was involved with WHO collaborative networks in the following events.

Ø  Organizing experts in our center to attend the teleconference on Improving Data on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region in June 2016;

Ø  Assigning associate professor Wang Qian of our center to join the first WHO interregional training workshop on quality of traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) services, Macao SAR, China, from 25 to 27 November 2016;

Ø  Undertaking a China-WHO Biennial Collaborative Project 2016-2017 Research on the Practice and Policy Guarantee of Traditional Medical Service System Construction in China. The project has been evaluated for the first stage.

    Through communication and discussion in the workshops and conferences, experience of improving TM data collection in various countries are shared, the understanding of WHO strategy especially in terms of TCM services and measures/mechanisms for ensuring the quality of TCM services are deepened. Working relations with WHO/HQ, WHO/RO and other WHO CCs are strengthened.

Activity 4

Title: Enhance cooperation and exchange between countries in respect of TM

Description: The inherited information on traditional medicine practice and products from various countries is an important cultural resource to be treasured, which is still highly scattered at present. The activity intends to encourage cooperation and exchange for training, research and information to facilitate the harmonization of traditional medicine.

In the last year, the Center has received a total of 297 foreign visitors from 87 organizations in 27 countries and regions. Among those 297 foreign visitors, 10 of them are high-ranking government officials and university presidents, 27 are mainstream media journalists of 27 African countries. On the other hand, in the last year, NJUCM has sent totally 186 faculty members in 111 outbound groups to 27 countries and regions covering 4 continents.

In 2016, our center undertook the projects to co-establish Sino-Australian Chinese Medicine Center with Australian Education Management Group, Sino-Swiss Chinese Medicine Center with TCM Ming Dao Group, Switzerland, and Sino-French (Paris) Chinese Medicine Center with AP-HP in France sponsored by China’s State Administration of TCM with one million yuan RMB for each. Besides, our center continued to construct the TCM center co-established with iTCM Clinic Illertal(Germany) and Shulan TCM College(UK).

In March 2017, our center signed the MOU with RMIT University to establish the Jiangsu-Victoria TCM center, marking the promotion of TCM of our center will be strongly supported by both Jiangsu Provincial and Victoria State governments.

Moreover, our center signed the collaboration agreement on TCM education program with Trinity Western University(Canada), Cleveland State University (USA), University of Ulster(UK) etc. Our center also signed a collaborative agreement with Melbourne University, Swinburne University and Gretals Australia Proprietary Limited (Australia) on development of TCM in 2016.

The frequent exchanged visits between different countries and collaborative projects have been greatly conducive to the enhancement of cooperation and communication in TCM education and research worldwide.

2. Please briefly describe your collaboration with WHO in regards to the activities of the WHO collaborating centre during the past 12 months (e.g. means of communication, frequency of contact, visits to or from WHO). Please feel free to mention any difficulties encountered (if any) and to provide suggestions for increased or improved communication (if applicable).

Ø  Associate Professor Liu Qin of our center was assigned to work in Geneva, headquarters of WHO, for one year;

Ø  A delegation led by Prof. Chen Diping, Chair of our University Administrative Council visited WHO headquarters in September, 2016. Prof. Chen held talks with Dr. Zhang Qi, Coordinator of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, WHO;

Ø  Dr. Jim Campbell, Director of WHO Health Workforce Department visited our center in November 2016.

3. Please briefly describe any interactions or collaborations with other WHO collaborating centres in the context of the implementation of the above activities (if any). If you are part of a network of WHO collaborating centres, please also mention the name of the network, and describe any involvement in the network during the last 12 months.

WHO CCs for Traditional Medicine in China are mainly located in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing. The Center has been maintaining a close relation with other collaborative centers in Beijing and Shanghai by means of joint meeting for recent years. In October 2016, our Center attended a joint meeting held in Shanghai, discussing the development of the international acupuncture training and collaboration in terms of students enrollment and teaching. The joint meeting provided a communication platform to strengthen cooperation among CCs and improve the level of overseas Chinese medicine education.

4. Please briefly describe any type of technical, programmatic, advisory or other support received from WHO during the past 12 months for the implementation of the agreed activities listed above (if any).

The technical support we received from WHO includes guidance in work planning, work methods and results evaluation.

In 2016, we undertook the China-WHO Biennial Collaborative Project 2016-2017 with $180,000 dollars to conduct research on the Practice and Policy Guarantee of Traditional Medical Service System Construction in China.

Entrusted by WHO headquarters, our center took an active part in the TM (acupuncture) training program for South American doctors.

Dr. Jim Campbell, Director of WHO Health Workforce Department suggested our center to strengthen the training of community doctors and general doctors during his visit to our affiliated hospital.