TCM standardization expert Guo De-an delivers lecture at CityU: Research strategies for TCM quality and standardization, and its internationalization

Professor Guo De-an, dean of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine International Standardization at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and director of the National Engineering Laboratory for TCM Standardization Technology, visited City University of Macau (CityU) and delivered a Master Lecture under the theme of “Research Strategies for TCM Quality and Standardization, and its Internationalization”. Attendees included: Mo Hui, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macau); Shen Lingxian, director of the Shanghai TCM Innovation Center; Fan Sut Ieng, president of the supervisory board of the China Association of Chinese Medicine; Li Pengbin, executive vice president of Kiang Wu Hospital; Chen Xiang, chief executive officer of Macau Direch Investment Technology Company Limited; Ung Choi Kun, vice chairman of the University Council of CityU; Rector Jun Liu; and Vice Rector Han Wei. 

Rector Jun Liu extended a warm welcome to Professor Guo De-an in his speech. He continued that this lecture was not only an academic feast but also an opportunity for Macao to integrate into the national development strategy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Rector Liu regarded Macao as an important node in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and its efforts to promote “the global outreach of Chinese culture with TCM as its carrier”. He expressed his expectation for the lecture, hoping that it would broaden the horizons of the teachers and students, and inject new impetus into the standardization and internationalization of the TCM industry in Macao. 

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During the lecture, Vice Chairman Ung Choi Kun presented a calligraphy artwork that he created to Professor Guo to express gratitude for his contributions to the standardization of TCM. 

Professor Guo is a leading authoritative expert on the standardization and internationalization of TCM. He serves as chair of the Chinese Committee of Medicinal Materials and Decoction Pieces of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Committee, chair of the East Asia Expert Panel of the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, and member of the European Pharmacopoeia Commission. As a pioneer in advancing the global standardization of TCM, he has been instrumental in promoting its internationalization recognition. 

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In the lecture, Professor Guo elaborated on the major challenges confronting the quality and standardization of TCM, including the unique complexities inherent in the intricate systems. To address these challenges, he initiated the three-pronged strategy for TCM quality control— “Deep Research, Holistic Standard, Precision Testing”. By adopting a quality-control-oriented approach to TCM, he innovatively developed a systematic “Chemistry-Metabolism-Biology” analysis methodology, thereby resolving critical scientific obstacles in quality research and propelling the modernization and internationalization of China’s TCM standardization system. 

Additionally, Professor Guo noted that the intelligent TCM quality database project led by his team achieved preliminary completion, forming a third-party testing agency that supports and complements the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Committee, thereby safeguarding the safety, efficacy, and controllability of TCM throughout its entire process from fundamental research to clinical application. 

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During the Q&A session, Professor Guo engaged in face-to-face exchanges with the students, discussing topics such as TCM analytical testing technologies, strategies for TCM standardization development, and the construction of TCM quality databases. This dialogue provided new insights for internationalizing TCM quality standards.