The Second President/Dean’s Forum of South and Southeast Asia Medical Education and Service Alliance (SSAMESA) was successfully held on October 17th. Representatives from 56 member institutions spanning China and 13 countries in South and Southeast Asia, along with delegates from relevant institutions at home and abroad attended the forum online and offline and engaged in in-depth discussions on the theme “Innovative Development of Medical Education and Healthcare: International Cooperation Promoting the Transformation of Medical Education and Healthcare”.
Ding Lianpu, Director of the First Division of Mechanism Work at China Center for International People-to-People Exchange of the Ministry of Education, Zhao Derong, Deputy Director of Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, Ma Zuoxin, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Yunnan Province, Academician Fan Xianqun, Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), the governing member of the SSAMESA, and Yin Xiangyang, Party Secretary of Kunming Medical University, the secretariat of the SSAMESA delivered addresses at the forum’s opening ceremony. They highlighted the forum’s significance and extended their wishes for its success.
Academician Fan Xianqun noted in his address that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past decade, the cooperation philosophy of the BRI has deeply resonated with people, resulting in significant achievements and far-reaching impacts. The SSAMESA was conceived and flourished within the context of the BRI, establishing a solid foundation and structural framework at its inception. As it continues to gain momentum and achieve steady progress, the alliance is poised to forge ahead, fostering opportunities shared by all.
At the opening ceremony, the foreign-language versions ofChina Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) Technical Guidelines for Holistic Integrative Management of Cancer were officially launched. A ceremony was also held to inaugurate the China Anti-Cancer Association Base (Yunnan).
During the academic exchange session, Academician Fan Xianqun delivered a keynote address titled “New Medical Science Guiding the Development and Practices of Medical Education”. Professor Xue Wei, Vice President of Renji Hospital Affiliated with SJTUSM shared his experience and insights on the training system for resident doctors of the Urology Department at Renji Hospital. Academician Li Xiaokun, President of Wenzhou Medical University, Professor Saphonn Vonthanak, Rector of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Cambodia as well as various experts from both home and abroad also shared their insights during the session, contributing their wisdom and strength to the robust development of medical education and healthcare sector within the region.
The 2023 South and Southeast Asia Medical Education and Service Alliance Work Meeting was held before the forum. During the meeting, member institutions were briefed on the alliance’s work, and voted to approve the inclusion of Xuzhou Medical University, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guilin Medical University, and Shenyang Medical College as new members of the alliance. The meeting was chaired by Zheng Junke, Vice Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, the governing member of the alliance.
The SSAMESA was co-established by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Kunming Medical University in 2019. Over the past four years, with strong support, genuine interest, and active participation from the member institutions, the alliance has grown by leaps and bounds. Thanks to the effective collaborations among members in medical talent training, scientific research, academic exchanges, medical technology training, and pandemic prevention and control, the alliance has experienced a continuous increase in its influence. It has emerged as an important platform for fostering cooperation between Chinese medical universities and institutions and their counterparts in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries in the field of medical education and healthcare.
