Established in 1956, Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of the first four TCM colleges in China. In 1993, the College was re-named as Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dr. Wu Jie-ping (academician, former vice-chairman of Standing Committee of National People’s Congress) was the honorary president of the University. Covering an area of approximately 83 acres, the campus is located at the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New Area. It has now become a key part of ‘Zhangjiang Medicine Valley’ in the strategic plan of an ‘innovative city’ in Shanghai.
Over the past 50 years, many graduates from SHUTCM have become distinguished scholars in the TCM field and its alumni are now spread over 100 countries around the world. The University has 2 academicians (one from China Academy of Sciences and one from China Academy of Engineering), 5 chief scientists for ‘973 program’, 4 distinguished young scholars of National Science Fund, 2 winners of the ‘one thousand talents scheme’, and 1 Chang Jiang Scholar. Today, More than 600 experts and professors work in the University, includingdozens of national or municipal-celebrated TCM doctors and academic leaders. The University is one of the top TCM universities across China. The University passed the appraisal for excellent undergraduate education by the Ministry of Education in 1999 and regained the honor in 2007. In 2008 and 2012, the Chinese materia medical ranked No 1 and Chinese medicine ranked No 2 in first-class disciplines by the Ministry of Education.
The University has 14 secondary colleges and departments, 3 directly affiliated hospitals and 2 indirectly affiliated hospitals, 19 subsidiary or collaborated research institutes, 13 research centers and 1 healthcare-education-research consortium consisting of 19 TCM institutions in Shanghai. Take two colleges for example. As the first educational institution for acupuncture and tuina in China, the College for Acupuncture & Tuina has been accredited by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) for construction of key disciplines and specialties. Founded in 1972, the College for Chinese Materia Medica has now become foremost in research areas including new drug development of Chinese medicine, Chinese pharmacy technology and Chinese medicine quality control, extraction and isolation of active compounds in Chinese medicine, and pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of compound Chinese medicinal formulae. In 1992, academician (Madame) Hu Zhi-bi set up ‘Laboratory for Traditional Chinese Medicine Biotechnology’ for the first time in China. In February 2003, the Murad Research Center forTCM Modernizationwas established in honor of and in cooperation with American Nobel Laureate Ferid Murad. Laboratories, offices and equipment for molecular biology, cell culture, and extraction, isolation and analysis of Chinese materia medica are available in the Center (more than 1,000 square meters).
In 2013, a total of 9,967 students are studying in the University, including 2,044 postgraduates, 4,708 undergraduates or associate degree students, 1,107 long-term international students, 1,016 short-term international students and 2,108 students for adult education.
The University has been accredited by the Ministry of Education as the ‘Innovative Experiment Unit on Personnel Training Mode’, ‘Pilot Program for Characteristic Specialties’, ‘China Martial Arts Training Base for College Students’, ‘China cultural Quality Education Base for College Students’ and ‘National Science Basic Research and Teaching Talents Cultivation Base’. Currently, the University has 3 doctorate programs of first-class disciplines: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine and Chinese Materia Medica, 15 doctorate programs of second-class disciplines; 23 master degree programs; 3 post-doctoral research stations; doctorate degrees to all TCM disciplines, 29 undergraduate or associate program majors (orientations) and 12 undergraduate or associate majors for continuing education.
The University has 4 national key disciplines: Chinese External Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, Chinese Internal Medicine and Chinese Traumatology; 2 national key cultivating disciplines: TCM History Documentation and Acupuncture & Tuina; 2 national key cultivating disciplines: TCM History Documentation and Acupuncture & Tuina; 38 key disciplines of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 6 key disciplines in Shanghai, 5 key disciplines of Shanghai Education Commission, 1 engineering research center of the Ministry of Education, 3 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education, 2 key laboratories in Shanghai, 7 key laboratories of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and 2 E-research institutes in Shanghai.
The University has been worked closely with international organizations including WHO and ISO to promote the international standardization of Chinese medicine and safety of Chinese materia medica. It has been one of the WHO collaboration centers for traditional medicine since 1983. To date, the University has signed collaboration agreements with institutions in overseas countries, including the UK, USA, Italy, Germany, Romania, France, Finland, Japan and Thailand. As such, we’ve developed a high-level cooperation network focusing on education and scientific research with overseas institutions.Currently, the University has 2 international collaborative programs with UK in pharmacy and nursing.
By adhering to the idea of “intensiveness over extensiveness, distinction over largeness and essence over fame” and to the orientation of “research, teaching, specialty and openness”, the university is heading for a first-class TCM university across China and the world.
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