The opening ceremony of the Wu Jieh Yee Institute of Translational Chinese Medicine Research was held today (26 April). The officiating guests included Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation representatives Dr Philip Wu, Mrs Amy Wu, Mr Jason Wu, Mr Victor Chan, Mrs Monica Yuen, Mrs Tansy Tom, Mr Raymond Chan, and Mr Mason Wu; together with HKBU representatives Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court; Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor; Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School and Acting Dean of School of Chinese Medicine; Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer and Director of the Wu Jieh Yee Institute of Translational Chinese Medicine Research; and Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Associate Vice-President (Clinical Chinese Medicine) cum Hospital Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr Clement Chen commended the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation for upholding the noble aspirations of the late Dr Wu Jieh Yee in promoting higher education and improving the quality of medical service. He said that Dr Wu had close connection with HKBU, and his foundation has been providing tremendous support to the University’s strategic development over the years, in particular in 2010, the Foundation donated HK$20 million for the establishment of the Shum Yiu Foon Shum Bik Chuen Memorial Centre for Cancer and Inflammation Research. In 2019, the Foundation made a further contribution of HK$15.2 million to fund the Centre’s research on “The Molecular Characteristics and Interrelationship of Inflammation and Cancer: New Therapeutic Strategy with Traditional Chinese Medicine”, aimed at advancing the development of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of cancer and inflammation, thereby benefiting the community.

“Upon learning that HKBU had been selected as the contractor for the service deed of Hong Kong’s first Chinese Medicine Hospital, the Foundation presented a mega gift to support the advancement of Chinese medicine research. With the tremendous support from the Foundation and various sectors, the School of Chinese Medicine has achieved significant breakthroughs. They include the development of Hong Kong’s first botanical drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trial to treat chronic constipation, and another botanical drug which received FDA’s orphan drug designation for treating myofibrillar myopathy. The newly established Wu Jieh Yee Institute of Translational Chinese Medicine Research, grounded in traditional Chinese medicine, will integrate scientific principles into its theoretical, diagnostic and treatment protocols, and introduce innovative thinking and methodologies to Chinese medicine,” said Dr Chen.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Alex Wai stated that HKBU is committed to providing quality education and research while striving to translate research outcomes for the benefit of society. He highlighted that the primary mission of the Wu Jieh Yee Institute of Translational Chinese Medicine Research is to become a globally recognised innovative research centre in Chinese medicine. The Institute is equipped with advanced research infrastructure and provides a platform for high-quality translational Chinese medicine research, with the aim of generating scientific research outcomes that can be applied to society.

“I hope that the Institute can become a modern Chinese medicine development platform in Hong Kong, leveraging cutting-edge equipment, information and intelligent database, diagnosis and prescriptions assisted by artificial intelligence, as well as personalised medical management systems to advance smart Chinese medicine, explore more cooperation opportunities between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and offer more impactful, cutting-edge technologies and applications for the nation and society,” said Professor Wai.

After the ceremony, Professor Terence Lau and Dr Ken Yeung, Director of Technology Translation, the Institute for Innovation, Translation and Policy Research, accompanied guests in their visit to the Institute located at the 5th floor of 6W Building, Hong Kong Science Park to learn more about the scientific research and translational studies in Chinese medicine, and the Institute’s facilities and operation. The Institute aims to drive the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine through the application of cutting-edge technology and digitalisation. It will focus on 4 specialised research areas, including phenomics, smart medical device & bioengineering technology development, herb-drug interaction analysis, and clinical data science development and provide support to drive their translation and commercialisation of research outcomes.

Other guests attending the event included Ms Eileen Tsui, a member of the Entrepreneur Committee of the HKBU Foundation; Professor Alfred Sit, Chief Executive and Secretary of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; Mr Paul Poon, Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court at HKBU; Mr Kevin Liem, Treasurer of the Council and the Court at HKBU; Professor Martin Wong, Provost of HKBU; Dr Albert Chau, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) and Acting Dean of Arts of HKBU; Ms Christine Chow, Vice-President (Administration) and Secretary of HKBU; and Mrs Lily Chan, Director of University Advancement and Secretary-General of the HKBU Foundation.