Established in 1956, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM) is one of the first four TCM colleges in China. Covering an area of approximately 83 acres, the campus is located at the Scientific Research & Education Zone, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New Area.
Currently, a total of 9,388 students are studying in the university. These include 421 doctorate candidates, 1087 master degree postgraduates, 5,026 undergraduates and associate degree (or vocational) students, 1,959 for adult education and 895 long-term international students. In addition, the university has established collaboration with 14 countries or regions. As a result, more than 1,000 short-term students from 30 countries come to learn or conduct clinical practice every year.
Over the past 50 years, many graduates from SHUTCM have become distinguished scholars in the TCM field and its alumni are now spread over 100 countries around the world. The alumni of the university are working in over 60 countries or regions. More than 600 experts and professors work in the University, including 2 academicians, dozens of national or municipal-celebrated TCM doctors and academic leaders. In 2008, the discipline of Chinese medicine has been approved by the Ministry of Education as the ‘pilot program’.
The University has 20 secondary colleges and departments, 3 directly affiliated top-class tertiary hospitals (Shuguang Hospital, Longhua Hospital and Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine), 2 indirectly affiliated hospitals (Putuo District Central Hospital and Shanghai Municipal TCM Hospital), 16 subsidiary or collaborated research institutes, 10 research centers and 1 healthcare-education-research consortium consisting of 19 TCM institutions in Shanghai.
The University has been accredited by the Ministry of Education as the ‘Innovative Experiment Unit on Personnel Training Mode’, ‘Pilot Program for Characteristic Specialties’, ‘China Martial Arts Training Base for College Students’, ‘China cultural Quality Education Base for College Students’ and ‘National Science Basic Research and Teaching Talents Cultivation Base’.
The University has also been listed as a key humanity and social science research base in Shanghai—TCM cultural study and promotion center.
The University has 3 doctorate programs of first-class disciplines, namely, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine and Chinese Materia Medica, coupled with post-doctoral research stations. Among other things, Chinese Materia Medica ranks No 1 in first-class disciplines and traditional Chinese Medicine ranks No 2 in first-class disciplines. Additionally, the University has 15 doctorate programs of second-class disciplines, 23 master degree programs, 29 undergraduate majors (orientations) and 9 majors for continuing education.
Under one roof with the University, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of the major 7 TCM research centers in China.The University has 4 national key disciplines: Chinese External Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, Chinese Internal Medicine and Chinese Traumatology; 2 national key cultivating disciplines: TCM History Documentation and Acupuncture & Tuina; 2 key laboratories and 1 engineering center of the Ministry of Education, 4 construction units of key disciplines of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 24 third-grade laboratories, 9 key disciplines and 2 E-research institutes in Shanghai, 5 fifth key disciplines of Shanghai Education Commission and 1 key laboratory in Shanghai.
By adhering to the idea of “intensiveness over extensiveness, distinction over largeness and essence over fame” and to the orientation of “research, teaching, specialty and openness”, the university is heading for a first-class TCM university across China and the world.