On September 20, the inauguration ceremony of the West-Strait Medical Alliance, initiated by Wenzhou Medical University kicked off in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. 

The grand event has attracted renowned public figures such as seven academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presidents of eight universities from Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Guangdong.

As one of the ten largest agglomerations in China, the West-Strait Area possesses a significant regional position in eastern China, connecting to the Yangtze River Delta in the north and the Pearl River Delta in the south. It plays an important role in China’s coastal regional economic development.

Geographical integration usually triggers more social and economic cooperation opportunities. 

The alliance is such an example. The outbreak of COVID-19 has raised the problem of the insufficiency of public medical resources and talents. Under this circumstance, with the support of the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission, and relevant provincial and municipal government departments, Wenzhou Medical University leveraged its geographical advantage in the core location within the West-Strait Area, joining hands with eight colleges and universities in the West -Strait area to jointly establish the Medical Alliance.

At the site, heads from Xiamen University, Fujian Medical University, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Shantou University, Wenzhou Medical University, and Lishui University nailed down the signing of the "West -Strait Medical Alliance Declaration". 

According to the declaration, the members of the alliance agreed to adhere to the common objective of "cooperation, sharing and characteristic development" to jointly strengthen academic development and enhance regional cooperation in talent training, academic team building, scientific research, etc. 

A shared idea is that the establishment of the Alliance will promote the rapid development of high-level medical education, research, health care, medical industry, and emergency regulation in the area, creating a "Comprehensive Health Care" model with regional characteristics, and better serve the people of the region.

Du Yubo, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education and President of the China Association of Higher Education, said that the alliance is an important practice to effectively promote the development of medical education and health care in the West -Strait area and is a major advancement in regional medical education and health care services. 

Wang Qiming, Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education highlighted the importance of promoting medical education development with new ideas, planning medical reform policies with new positioning, strengthening medical personnel training with new connotations, and leading medical education innovation with latest sciences. "The in-depth medical cooperation between universities in the Alliance provides a solid foundation for the construction of a healthy China," said Mr. Wang.

Yang Baofeng and Lin Dongxin, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Wang Songling, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, respectively delivered keynote speeches at the ceremony entitled "Inspirations and Reflections on Disciplinary Construction", "New Molecular Markers for Colorectal Cancer", and "Reconstructing China’s Medical Talent Training System in the Face of Developmental Needs".

On the evening of September 19 prior to the ceremony, a preparatory meeting of the board was held to review and approve the “Constitution of the West -Strait Medical Alliance”. The first batch of committee members was also elected, implementing a rotating system. Li Xiaokun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of Wenzhou Medical University was elected chairman of the Alliance.

(Edited by Ye Ke)