On December 1,a delegation led by Fan Xianqun, Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM) and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering,visited Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the 2025 South and Southeast Asia Medical Education and Service Alliance Conference. The delegation also visited the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University and Ramathibodi Hospital of Mahidol University. Vice Chancellor Bi Yufang, along with senior officials from the Office of Science and Technology Development, the Graduate School, the Academic Affairs Office, and the International Exchange Office, accompanied the visit.
Founded in 2019 through a joint initiative of SJTUSM and Kunming Medical University, the Alliance designates SJTUSM as the Chair institution and Kunming Medical University as the Secretariat. It now comprises 56 medical schools from 13 countries across South and Southeast Asia. This year’s conference marked the Alliance’s seventh annual meeting, hosted by Prince of Songkla University in Thailand and co-organized by Kunming Medical University. More than 100 representatives from member institutions in China, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar,and other countries convenedto discuss collaborative pathways for advancing regional medical education and healthcare services.
Chancellor Fan Xianqun chairs the Alliance’s work meeting
Group photo of key Alliance representatives
Ahead of the opening ceremony, Chancellor Fan chaired the Alliance’s annual work meeting.The participating members reviewed and approved the Secretariat’s report, voted to admit Bengbu Medical College and Baotou Medical College of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology as new members, and discussed the next phase of work. The meeting also confirmed that the 2026 Annual Conference will be hosted by SJTUSM.Representatives from all member institutions, including the twonewly admitted members, attended the meeting both online and in person.
Scene from the Alliance conference
In his opening remarks, Fan highlighted the Alliance’s founding vision, jointly initiated by the SJTUSM and Kunming Medical University in 2019: to establish a multilateral platform for cooperation in medical education and healthcare in China and across South and Southeast Asia. Over the past six years, the Alliance has remained committed to the principles of “consultation, co-construction, sharing, and mutual benefit”,continuously expanding its membership and scope of collaboration. It has evolved into a high-level platform with significant regional influence, focusing on talent cultivation, collaborative research, medical services, and technology sharing to drivemedical innovation and public health. This year’s conference, themed “Digital Intelligence Empowerment Shaping the Future—Building a New Paradigm for Regional Cooperation in Medical Education and Healthcare”,sought to explore new pathways for collaboration in the era of digital intelligence. Fan emphasized that,as the Belt and Road Initiative enters a new stage of high-quality development,the Alliance will seize opportunities to jointly promote the sustainableand high-quality advancementof regional health and medical services.
Vice Chancellor Bi Yufang delivers keynote speech
Vice Chancellor Bi Yufang delivered a keynote speech titled “Medical Education in China—Exploration and Practice at SJTUSM.” She shared SJTUSM’s experiences in innovating educational philosophy, reforming teaching practices, and translating outcomes, with a focus on moral education, clinical skills training, and integration of industry and education. Bi also joined a roundtable forum for in-depth exchanges with experts and scholars.
Conference participants pose for a group photo
The conference featured reports from experts representing SJTUSM, Kunming Medical University, Southwest Medical University, Bengbu Medical College, Chongqing Medical University, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as well as Prince of Songkla University, Chulalongkorn University, Chiang Mai University, Princess Mother’s Medical College, Bangladesh Medical College, and the University of Health Sciences Lahore in Pakistan. Two dialogue sessions addressed topics such as cultivating top-tier innovative medical talent, sharing regional medical education and healthcare resources, and strategies for advancing medical education and international cooperation in the age of artificial intelligence.
Delegation visits Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine
Following the conference, Chancellor Fan and his delegation visited Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine and Mahidol University’s Ramathibodi Hospital. Dean Jiruth Sriratanaban of Chulalongkorn University warmly welcomed the delegation, introduced the faculty’s development, and expressed strong interest in strengthening collaboration with SJTUSM. Fan toured key disciplines, including microbiology and ophthalmology. At Mahidol University, both sides reaffirmed their ongoing cooperation, with student exchange programs continuing to progress, and held in-depth discussions on future collaboration.
The successful hosting of the Alliance’s annual conference, with growing membership and its first overseas venue, reflects the Alliance’s increasing influence in the region. The event aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, advancing the construction of a regional health cooperation community in South and Southeast Asia. Through the Alliance platform, SJTUSM has strengthened its partnerships with regional universities and medical institutions, thereby enhancing its academic reputation and influence in the region. The visit further solidified the foundation for the School’s international development, laying a solid foundation for future multi-level, multi-field cooperation.
