Prof. CHE Chun-tao, Harry H.S. Fong Professor of Pharmacognosy in the College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, delivered a hybrid PAIR seminar titled “Challenges and Opportunities for Chinese Medicine Research” on 1 December 2023. The seminar attracted over 200 participants joining onsite and online from over 30 countries and regions in Asia, Europe and North America. It was also broadcast live on multiple social media platforms and viewed by an online audience of over 16,500 in total.
The seminar commenced with a warm welcome address by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PAIR, setting the stage for an enlightening session. Prof. Che then took the floor, shedding light on the scientific hurdles in the development of Chinese medicine, particularly in regard to the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal products. He emphasised that these challenges can be transformed into opportunities for international collaborative research, ultimately meeting the growing demand for top-notch Chinese medicine products.
A question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. WONG Man-sau, Director of the Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI), followed the lecture. The seminar reached its climax with a panel discussion joined by experts from local universities and industry. Panellists included Prof. Karl TSIM Wah-keung, Director of the Center for Chinese Medicine Research and Development and Director of HKUST Shenzhen Center for Chinese Medicine at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST); Prof. ZHANG Hongjie, Director of the Chinese Medicine – Teaching and Research Division of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU); Prof. Clara LAU, Associate Director of the Institute of Chinese Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK); and Mr Harry YEUNG, Chairman of the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association Foundation (MCMIA). The audience had a stimulating exchange with Prof. Che and the panellists.
