JOHANNESBURG, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Africa has officially released the African Standards for Traditional Chinese Medicine Higher Education and the African Standards for Acupuncture Higher Education (the Standards), marking a major step in advancing standardized and systematic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) higher education in the region.
Speaking at the launch on Monday in Johannesburg, Hu Zijing, the project lead and head of the African Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, said the Standards were developed through multiple rounds of review, cross-regional collaboration, and practical feedback by experts from China, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, the United States, Canada, the Philippines and Malaysia.
According to Hu, the Standards provide a comprehensive framework covering curriculum design, teaching content, teaching methods, and assessment mechanisms, including foundational TCM theory, diagnostics, formulas, acupuncture and clinical practice, transitioning the teaching model from experience-oriented to a structured and replicable system.
The University of Johannesburg has applied the Standards in both undergraduate and postgraduate TCM programs, said Hu, also an associate professor at the university, adding, "We aim to build a TCM education system that combines an international perspective with distinct African characteristics, and to cultivate professionals with strong clinical competence and cross-cultural understanding."
"This standard not only enhances the quality and consistency of TCM education, but also provides important support for the diversification of healthcare development in Africa," said Radmila Razlog, chairperson of the Finance Committee of the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa.
While promoting educational collaboration, they further deepen Africa-China exchange in the fields of culture and health, she added.
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