Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) is a prestigious university in China with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Chinese materia medica as its leading subjects. As the exclusive top university of traditional Chinese medicine listed under the Project 985 and Project 211, it is under the direct supervision of the Chinese Ministry of Education and jointly developed by the National Health Commission, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) and municipal government of Beijing.

Founded in 1956, the university, formerly known as Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was one of the earliest institutions of higher education of TCM approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. It was renamed Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology in 1993. In 2000, it merged with the former Beijing College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Osteology and Traumatology. Since 2011, the university has been listed under Project 985 as an innovation platform for its leading subjects. Since 2017, three disciplines of BUCM have been listed under China's "Double-First Rate" initiative, namely, world-class universities and first-class disciplines: traditional Chinese medicine, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine and Chinese materia medica. The university now has three campuses -- the Hepingjie Campus, the Wangjing Campus and the Liangxiang Campus.

BUCM adheres to the university motto "Qin Qiu Bo Cai, Hou De Ji Sheng" (Study Diligently, Make Use of the Strengths of All Others; Value Virtue and Benefit the Society by Practicing Medicine), advocates learning, inheritance and innovation, and aims to educate students to have high moral character and lofty sentiments.

With distinctive characteristics and great strengths, the university has become an education base for the cultivation of high-level innovative TCM professionals, a model base for the reform of TCM education, a research base for the innovation in TCM knowledge and technology, a health care base for the prevention and management of critical conditions and complicated and miscellaneous cases, a humanity base for the dissemination of Chinese excellent traditional culture, and an international exchange base for the introduction of TCM to the world. It has become a world-renowned TCM university performing functions of teaching, research and medical care.

Currently there are 5,020 persons on the staff, of whom 1,285 are full-time teachers. Those who have senior professional titles account for 66.3% and those with master's or doctorate degree make up 85.45%. The university has 335 doctoral tutors. The teaching staff consists of experts of great renown at home and abroad and middle-aged and young professors with national influence. Among them there are six TCM Grand Masters, three TCM National-level Masters, 33 TCM Masters at the Beijing Municipal Level, three Chang Jiang Scholar Chair Professors, three winners of the Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars offered by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, one winner of the Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, four chief scientists of the National Project 973, four Scientific and Technological Innovation Leading Talents in the "Ten Thousand Talents Plan" (China's national special support plan for high-level talents), one Prestigious Teacher in the "Ten Thousand Talents Plan", three members of the 7th Discipline Evaluation Committee under the State Council, seven on the list of candidates of the New Century Talents Projects, eight middle-aged and young experts with outstanding achievements at the national level, four Prestigious Teachers in TCM universities, and 130 experts enjoying special government allowances.

There are 32,266 registered domestic students at the university. In addition, there are 508 students from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and 537 international students. Moreover, 2,467 students are enrolled in the continuing education program and 18,155 in the distance learning program.

Currently, it offers 12 bachelor's degree programs across a wide range of subjects such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, Medicinal Herb Manufacturing, Pharmacology and Acupuncture.

BUCM was China's first cohort of TCM universities to offer doctoral degree programs and have three mobile centers for post-doctoral research, namely the Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, and Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

It offers doctoral degree programs in the above-mentioned three general disciplines, 42 doctoral degree programs in the specialized disciplines and 46 master's degree programs. In addition, there are programs in five other disciplines with 14 sub-fields, including nine doctoral degree programs and 14 master's degree programs.

The university enjoys two key general disciplines and 15 key specialized disciplines at the national level, 48 key disciplines supported by SATCM, and two key general disciplines and eight key specialized disciplines at Beijing municipal level. It is obvious that BUCM plays a leading role in the establishment of key disciplines among TCM universities and colleges in China.

The university has 48 research bases (centers) entrusted by provincial authority or above, of which there are two international sci-tech cooperation bases at the national level, three key laboratories and two engineering research centers under the Ministry of Education, two bases for university disciplinary innovation and talent recruitment, 14 top-level laboratories under SATCM, six key laboratories at the Beijing municipal level, one engineering research center under the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, six international sci-tech cooperation bases at the Beijing municipal level, and one Beijing TCM culture research center.

BUCM has eight affiliated hospitals responsible for clinical teaching. Furthermore, BUCM has 15 key clinical specialties at the national level and 35 under SATCM. There are also five workstations for inheritance of TCM Grand Masters' unique skills, 42 TCM national workstations for inheritance of the knowledge of different schools and senior experts' clinical experience, and 37 workstations for inheritance of well-known TCM doctors' clinical experience in Beijing.

BUCM was the first among China's TCM universities to enroll international students. It has trained over 20,000 TCM professionals from 94 countries and regions, and formed collaborations with 118 prestigious universities and research institutions from 30 countries and regions.

It was also the first in China to offer TCM doctoral and master's degree programs taught in English to students who have studied conventional medicine, and TCM bachelor's degree programs taught in English. In 2016, in cooperation with the University of Barcelona, Spain, BUCM has successfully introduced the first TCM master's degree program into the mainstream medical education system of the European Union.

In 1991, BUCM founded the Koetzting Hospital of Chinese Medicine in Germany, the first overseas hospital established by a Chinese university. In 2012, the university established the TCM Confucius Institute in collaboration with the Hyogo College of Medicine Educational Corporation in Japan. Moreover, it has been pursuing innovative modes of internationalization, one of which is overseas TCM centers that incorporate medical care, education, research and cultural dissemination. It has established BUCM Chinese Medicine Centers in Australia, Russia, and the US, making Chinese medicine a brilliant medium for people-to-people exchange between China and the world.