UTAR signs MoA with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (NJUCM) on 5 November 2010 in Nanjing, China.

Signing the MoA on behalf of UTAR was its President Ir Prof Dato' Dr Chuah Hean Teik, while his counterpart NJUCM President Prof Wu Mianhua signed on behalf of his university. Signing as witnesses for the two sister universities were UTAR Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Prof Dr Cheong Soon Keng and NJUCM Director of Department of International Cooperation and Exchange Prof Dai Shen.

Under the MoA, the two universities agreed to collaborate in curriculum teaching, developing human capital, course management and clinical training of undergraduate courses in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to build the capacity of TCM practitioners in the region. In particular, NJUCM would recommend its experienced associate professors and professors with academic background in TCM teaching, research and clinical training recognised by the Chinese government to be employed by UTAR for teaching and curriculum development in the Department of Chinese Medicine. A shortlist of these professors with more relevant experience in teaching and management would be recommended to UTAR, which would appoint one of them as its Head of Department of Chinese Medicine. NJUCM would also assist UTAR in curriculum planning and development, and delivery of TCM courses. It would also facilitate in training and development of TCM faculty members of UTAR.

UTAR initiated the formal collaborative relationship with NJUCM with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) also signed at the university in Nanjing on 22 January 2010. The MoA was a follow-up effort after the MoU.

UTAR has received the approval from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia to conduct the Bachelor of Chinese Medicine (Hons) programme and is planning to launch it in May 2011.

NJUCM is the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, the International Acupuncture Training Centre specified by the Ministry of Health of China, and one of the first few TCM universities approved by the Ministry of Education of China to receive and train foreign students.