May 1-4, 2024
New Milestone in Global TCM Promotion: International Forum on TCM Education and Cross-Cultural Communication Held in the UK
From May 1 to 4, 2025, the International Forum on the Globalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Education and Cross-Cultural Communication was successfully held by the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. The forum brought together distinguished guests from around the world to discuss the global development of TCM culture and explore new pathways for cross-cultural exchange.
A Convergence of Experts: Dialogues on the Globalization of TCM
This content-rich and dynamic forum attracted wide attention from scholars and experts across the globe. Attendees included representatives from the TCM Translation Research Group at Tsinghua University, the School of Culture and Health Communication at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Center for International Communication of TCM Culture at Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the European College of Acupuncture, and the Translation Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies.
Experts engaged in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics, including TCM education, translation studies, cross-cultural communication, and policy implementation. Their insights offered valuable theoretical support and practical strategies to promote the internationalization of TCM.
Three Decades of Dedication: Advancing a Global Vision for TCM
On May 1, international delegates visited the forum’s co-organizers—the China-UK Centre of Chinese Medicine and the Shulan College of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine—for professional exchange and collaboration. At the event, Professor Shulan Tang, Chair of the China-UK Centre and Principal of the Shulan College, shared her invaluable experience gained over more than 30 years of promoting TCM in the UK.
Under her leadership, the Shulan College of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine has remained committed to preserving classical TCM and promoting Chinese cultural heritage, while expanding the global reach of traditional Chinese medicine. The college has trained TCM professionals currently practicing in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Poland, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, and beyond. At present, the college collaborates with Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine to cultivate undergraduate, master's, and doctoral-level TCM talent internationally.
Professor Tang affirmed that the Shulan College will stay true to its founding mission and continue to move forward with dedication. The college aims to remain a "cradle of higher TCM education abroad," fostering more local TCM practitioners and contributing to the building of a global community of health for all.