The University started teaching, research and provision of Clinical Services of Chinese medicine (CM) since 1997. In October 1999, the School of Chinese Medicine was formally established. It is a full-fledged school that comprises the Teaching Division, the Research and Development Division, the Clinical Division and the Division of Continuing and Professional Education.
The Teaching Division (CMTD) of the School offers two full time programmes. The five-year programme leading to a double degree in Bachelor of Chinese Medicine and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biomedical Science is the first of its kind offered in Hong Kong since 1998-1999. The programme aims to provide extensive training for students who will graduate as CM practitioners with the ability to utilize modern technology in conjunction with CM on a scientific basis for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This new generation of CM graduates will also have adequate knowledge to pursue higher degrees in science and medical disciplines. Graduates of this programme may find their careers in becoming practitioners, researchers or academics of CM. From 2001-2002, the School began to launch the four-year, full-time, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) in Chinese Medicine programme. The programme, which is so far the only one if its kind in Hong Kong, aims at training students with the knowledge, abilities and qualifications in the study of pharmacy in Chinese medicine, and providing the local market with professionals well-versed in the various aspects of pharmacy in Chinese medicine.
The Division of Continuing and Professional Education (DCPE) of the School offers a variety of part-time programmes, including the Master of Chinese Medicine programme, Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Chinese Medicine programme, Master of Science in Personal Health Management (Chinese Medicine) programme and a number of professional programmes at degree, professional diploma, diploma and certificate levels. A wide range of registration examination preparatory programmes are also made available to meet the needs arising from the registration requirements for CM practitioners in Hong Kong.
On the research front, the School is engaged in a series of basic and clinical researches on Chinese medicine. For basic research, the School aims at conducting evidence-based research in order to establish prototypes for the continuous development of CM as a modern science. In view of the aging population worldwide, the School strategically focuses its research strengths on diseases of the elderly, such as arthritis, cancer and musculoskeletal diseases, against which CM treatments are popularly accepted as effective but the treatment processes are yet to be properly documented. As for clinical research, since there is currently no CM hospitals in Hong Kong, the School has to conduct clinical teaching and research in collaboration with external partners such as the Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in mainland China. Emphasis is being put on evidence-based research, which stresses the design, measurement and evaluation of the clinical cases with CM medications and methodologies.
The Clinical Division (CLNC) oversees the clinical operations and clinical research of the School. In addition to providing out-patient services for the general public through the operation of the CM clinics (in Tsim Sha Tsui, Sheung Wan, Kowloon Tong, Jordan, Aberdeen and Tai Po), it also serves as bases for clinical training and research. The School also collaborates with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Yan Chai Hospital, TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital, Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society, Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions to provide internship training for students and clinical services for the general public.
In addition to teaching and basic research, the School also recognizes the importance of mid- and down-stream research and development of CM products. Technology transfer enables CM products to be commonly "used" and widely accepted. Joining forces with industry is a crucial step towards the goal of modernization, industrialization and internationalization of CM. The Research and Development Division (RDD) of the School is charged with the responsibility to cater to these needs. The Division is engaged in a wide range of R&D projects in the form of joint ventures with major local and overseas pharmaceutical companies, and provides professional testing, certification and consultancy services to the CM industry. In addition to rendering support to the Teaching and Clinical Divisions, RDD serves also as a technology platform for the CM industry to foster modernization of the CM industry and advancement of CM as a modern science. ISO 17025 laboratory has been established to provide safety testing to the industry and to support research. It is hoped that through scientific research, systematic standardization and stringent quality assurance, CM can be modernized and accepted by the world as an effective alternative to disease curing and health keeping.
A standalone, nine-storeyed Hong Kong Jockey Club School of Chinese Medicine Building was constructed on campus with a gross floor area of around 8,500 square metres. Equipped with a board range of state-of-the-art instruments, the School is able to (1) provide quality CM training on a modern and scientific basis, (2) conduct sophisticated and advanced research, and (3) render professional consultancy services to industry and foster modernization of CM. Major equipment includes Liquid Chromatograph/Tandem Mass Spectrometers (LC/MS/MS), an Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometer (ICP/MS), two Liquid Chromatograph/Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometers, a Liquid Chromatograph/Ion-trap Mass Spectrometer, a MALDI TOF/TOF Mass Spectrometer, a HPLC-Chip, a DeltaVision Personal Imaging System, an IVIS Lumina XR Small Animal Imaging System and a Laser Microdissection System. They are housed in various laboratories of the School including the Quality Research Laboratory, the Natural Products Chemistry and Analysis Laboratory, the Proteomic Laboratory for System Biology Research, as well as the ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory for heavy metal, pesticide residues and microbiology testing.
