SCO Medical University Alliance

The SCO Medical University Alliance (hereinafter “Alliance”) is a high-level academic cooperation platform established under the SCO framework, aimed at promoting deep collaboration among member states in medical education, research, and clinical services to support the building of a “global health community”.

Establishment Date: Officially launched on November 10, 2022, via an online meeting in Nanchang, China.

Founding Institutions: Led by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, jointly initiated by 9 Chinese institutions (e.g., Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine) and 14 foreign universities from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, and other countries.

Alliance Charter

1. Mission and Principles

Promote the “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development;

Serve medical education and healthcare cooperation among member states to advance the development of a global health community.

Emphasize the integration of traditional and modern medicine, promote collaborative innovation between Chinese and Western medicine; advocate for equal cooperation, respect cultural diversity among member states, and facilitate resource sharing and mutual learning.

2. Core Tasks

Joint Talent Development:

Implement student and scholar exchange programs, promote cross-national joint degrees and credit recognition;

Adopt a “dual-mentor system” training model to foster cross-cultural medical education.

Research Cooperation:

Jointly apply for research projects, share research resources and data;

Establish joint laboratories focusing on traditional medicine, public health, and clinical medicine.

Academic Exchange:

Regularly hold international academic conferences, seminars, and technical training;

Promote joint publication of academic achievements and dissemination of cutting-edge medical knowledge.

Clinical Medicine Collaboration:

Provide clinical technical guidance and experience exchange, establish joint medical centers;

Promote medical resource sharing and standardization among member states.

3. Member Rights and Obligations

Membership Eligibility:

Open to medical universities and related institutions from SCO member states on a voluntary basis.

Rights:

Equal participation in Alliance decision-making, access to shared educational resources and research cooperation opportunities;

Priority participation in international cooperation projects initiated by the Alliance.

Obligations:

Comply with the Alliance charter and undertake cooperative tasks;

Member institutions bear the costs of participating in academic activities (unless otherwise specified in special agreements);

Appoint a liaison secretary to handle daily coordination with the Secretariat.

4. Decision-Making Mechanism

Council:

Composed of representatives from member institutions, serving as the highest decision-making body;

Hold at least one working meeting annually to propose and vote on Alliance matters;

Decisions require approval from over 50% of current member institutions.

Rotational System:

The Secretariat operates on an annual rotation system, with member institutions taking turns;

The rotating Secretariat coordinates meeting organization, document drafting, and other routine tasks.

Alliance Organizational Structure

1. Leadership Bodies

Council Composition: Presidents or heads of member universities and institutions;

Responsibilities: Formulate strategic plans, review major cooperative projects, and approve new member admissions.

Secretariat Composition: Dedicated personnel assigned by the rotating institution;

Responsibilities:

Handle daily liaison and coordination;

Organize annual working meetings;

Monitor the progress of cooperative projects.

2. Member Composition

Domestic Members: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Peking University Health Science Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

International Members: Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University (Russia), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Iran), Institute of Continuous Medical Education (Russia), RUDN University Institute of Medicine (Russia), Smolensk State Medical University (Russia), Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University (Russia), Ivanovo State Medical Academy (Russia), Yakut Science Academy (Russia), Federal Center for Radiology (Russia), Semashko National Research Institute of Public Health (Russia), Kazakhstan National Medical University, Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute (Uzbekistan), University of Tehran (Iran), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Iran).

3. Operational Mechanism

Rotational System:

The Secretariat rotates annually among universities from different member states, responsible for coordinating Alliance affairs;

The rotating institution submits an annual work report and hands over to the next Secretariat.

Liaison Secretaries:

Each member institution appoints a dedicated liaison secretary to handle information transmission and activity coordination;

Regularly submit cooperation progress reports to the Secretariat.

4. Collaborative Division of Labor

Professional Committees:

Established by discipline (e.g., traditional medicine, public health, clinical medicine) to plan specialized cooperation;

Joint Working Groups:

Temporary working groups established for specific projects (e.g., credit recognition, joint laboratories);

Coordinated by lead institutions for resource allocation and task execution.

5. Financial Management

Funding Sources:

Member institutions bear the costs of participation (e.g., travel, meeting expenses);

Costs for special cooperative projects may be shared through separate agreements.

Appendix: Introduction and Official Website Links for 9 Domestic and 9 International Member Universities

SCO Alliance Domestic and International Universities

Introduction to Domestic SCO Member Universities

1. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A national “Double First-Class” university, directly under the Ministry of Education, and the only TCM institution in the 211 Project. It has three “Double First-Class” disciplines: TCM, Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine, and Chinese Materia Medica, with TCM and Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine both rated A+ in the Ministry of Education's assessment. Signature programs include Integrated Chinese-Western Clinical Medicine (Hua Tuo Class) and Chinese Materia Medica (Shizhen National Medicine Class), with integrated bachelor's-master's-doctoral training. It has 3 campuses, 16 undergraduate programs, and over 30 clinical bases at affiliated hospitals in and outside Beijing.

Website: http://www.bucm.edu.cn

2. Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A provincial “Double First-Class” university, renowned for Chinese herbal processing and heat-sensitive moxibustion technologies. Its Chinese Materia Medica discipline excels in the Ministry of Education’s assessment, and it hosts a national experimental teaching demonstration center. It focuses on training applied talents in acupuncture, tuina, and Chinese pharmaceutical sciences.

Website: https://www.jxutcm.edu.cn

3. Peking University Health Science Center

Introduction:

A leading Chinese medical education institution under Peking University, primarily focused on Western medicine but recently strengthening integrated Chinese-Western medicine research. It has 18 affiliated hospitals, with disciplines like clinical medicine and pharmacology/toxicology ranking in the global top 1‰ by ESI. It collaborates with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine to offer a dual-degree program in Integrated Chinese-Western Clinical Medicine.

Website: http://www.bjmu.edu.cn

4. Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A national “Double First-Class” university and a high-level university in Guangdong, with TCM selected as a “Double First-Class” discipline. Renowned for practical skills, it leverages Lingnan medical culture, with herbal tea formulas widely used in folk medicine. Acupuncture and Tuina and Rehabilitation Therapy are national signature programs, with a leading number of affiliated hospitals nationwide.

Website: https://www.gzucm.edu.cn

5. Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A major TCM education hub in Northwest China, specializing in acupuncture, tuina, and clinical pharmacy. With the motto “Sincerity, Integrity, Benevolence, Simplicity”, it focuses on TCM for chronic disease prevention and treatment, with notable achievements in TCM oncology at affiliated hospitals.

Website: https://www.sntcm.edu.cn

6. Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A national “Double First-Class” university, co-established by the Ministry of Education and Shanghai, leading in internationalization. TCM and Chinese Materia Medica are “Double First-Class” disciplines, with a focus on integrated Chinese-Western medicine research. It hosts a WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine, promoting the internationalization of new Chinese medicines.

Website: https://www.shutcm.edu.cn

7. Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A key provincial TCM university, specializing in Zhuang and Yao medicine, with Zhuang Medicine as a national key (cultivated) discipline. It focuses on acupuncture, tuina, and Chinese medicinal resources and development, with close cooperation with ASEAN countries, hosting the China-ASEAN Traditional Medicine Exchange and Cooperation Center.

Website: https://www.gxtcmu.edu.cn

8. Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Introduction:

A national “Double First-Class” university and a core TCM education base in Southwest China, with Pharmacy selected as a “Double First-Class” discipline. Signature programs include Acupuncture and Tuina and TCM Orthopedics, with practical teaching closely integrated with Chinese medicinal resource development (e.g., research on authentic Sichuan herbs). It co-established a Chinese Medicinal Resources Development Lab with Sichuan Province, with Clinical Medicine ranking in the global top 1% by ESI.

Website: https://www.cdutcm.edu.cn

9. Peking Union Medical College of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Introduction:

China's top medical research institution, operating an integrated “academy-hospital” system, primarily focused on Western medicine but involved in TCM modernization research. Clinical Medicine has consistently ranked in the global top 50 by QS, with 6 national key laboratories. It collaborates with TCM universities on the “Chinese-Western Medicine Collaborative Innovation Project.”

官网：https://www.pumc.edu.cn

Website: https://www.pumc.edu.cn

Introduction to International SCO Member Universities

1. Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University (Russia)

Introduction: Founded in 1925, a pioneering Russian pediatric medical institution offering programs in pediatrics, dentistry, and clinical psychology, with over 300 faculty members, an international student office, and a medical center.

Website: https://gpmu.org/

2. Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Iran)

Introduction: Established in 1959, one of Tehran’s three major medical universities, serving 5 million residents in northern and eastern regions with medical, dental, and public health research programs, ranked 601–800 in the 2024 Times Higher Education ranking.

Website: https://www.sbmu.ac.ir/

3. Institute of Continuous Medical Education (Russia)

Introduction: Affiliated with RUDN University, it trains over 12,000 healthcare professionals annually, offering full/part-time advanced courses, professional retraining, clinical internships, and distance education.

Website: https://dpo.rudn.ru/

4. RUDN University Institute of Medicine (Russia)

Introduction: A core department of RUDN University, covering clinical medicine, pharmacy, and public health research, it is a key Russian international education institution, collaborating with over 1,000 global institutions and endorsed by UNESCO.

Website: https://rudn.ru/

5. Smolensk State Medical University (Russia)

Introduction: A WHO-recognized medical school specializing in general medicine, pharmacy, and nursing, with an international student advisory system and dormitories, regularly enrolling students from India, the Middle East, and other regions.

Website: https://sgmu.info/

6. Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University (Russia)

Introduction: Affiliated with one of Russia's oldest universities (founded in 1804), it focuses on fundamental medicine, molecular biology, and ecological health research, with an English-language website providing admissions and course details.

Website: https://kpfu.ru/

7. Ivanovo State Medical Academy (Russia)

Introduction: Established in 1930, it offers programs in dentistry, forensic medicine, and rehabilitation medicine, with 14 doctoral faculty and 30 associate professors, equipped with sports facilities and an international student support center.

Website: http://www.isma.ivanovo.ru/index.php

8. Yakut Science Academy (Note: The original list refers to the Yakutsk National Agricultural Academy; “Yakut” is a regional name, and this institution focuses on agriculture and veterinary medicine)

Introduction: Founded in 1956 as the Agricultural College of Yakutsk National University, now an independent agricultural academy, focusing on veterinary medicine and agricultural ecology, not a traditional medical institution.

Website: http://www.ysaa.ru/

9. Federal Center for Radiology (Russia)

Introduction: Directly under the Russian Ministry of Health, it integrates three oncology institutes (Moscow, Obninsk, Uroradiology), specializing in radiotherapy, proton therapy, comprehensive peritoneal cancer treatment, and bone marrow transplantation, serving 100,000 patients annually.

Website: https://new.nmicr.ru/zh-hans/