A celebration of ten years of successful international cooperation and exchange between Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Middlesex University in London.

In September 1996 students enrolled onto the first undergraduate degree programme in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be validated at degree level in the UK and Europe. The vision for establishing this innovative degree arose through cooperation between Middlesex University in London (MU) and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) and these two Universities continue to work together to provide a high quality education and training.
The challenges faced at that time in bringing professional training in Chinese Medicine into the higher education sector in the UK was significant and it was through the international collaboration between the two Universities that any hurdles were overcome. The knowledge and experience of BUCM in delivering Chinese Medicine education coupled with the MU experience of delivering other Complementary and Alternative Medicine programmes in the UK enabled an appropriate curriculum to be developed. This curriculum reflected the practice of Chinese Medicine as an integrated whole and challenged the more usual position in the UK within private colleges who were offering training programmes in acupuncture only. Cooperation with BUCM also provided the opportunity for students to supplement their more limited clinical training opportunities in private clinics in the UK with placements in hospital settings in Beijing. Secondment of experienced teaching staff from BUCM to MU has also done much to contribute to the success of the programme.
The international cooperation between MU and BUCM has resulted in a successful and thriving degree programme, and one that remains unique in the UK. For those promoting Chinese Medicine in higher education and the benefits of an integrative approach to healthcare in the UK, this represented a significant step forward. Graduates are well qualified and competent practitioners of Chinese Medicine, able to act as ambassadors for their profession in the UK and in a world wide arena. 2007 will see the validation of a Master’s degree in Chinese Medicine, again a collaborative venture between Middlesex University in London and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.