On November 30th, the 4th Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Culture Seminar of Songshan Forum was held at Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM). With the theme of "Forging a Strong Sense of Shared Community for the Chinese Nation and Empowering TCM Inheritance and Innovation with AI", the forum has attracted both China and international experts from the fields of industry, academia, research and medicine.
The forum was jointly co-sponsored by Henan International Culture Exchange Center, HUCM and Henan Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, and co-organized by the First Affiliated Hospital of HUCM (National Medical Center), the Digital and Intelligent TCM Research Institute of HUCM, and the Intelligent Application Engineering Center of Henan TCM Internet Hospital.
Zhang Guangzhi, Vice Chairman of the 11th Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of the Henan International Cultural Exchange Center, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He emphasized that in recent years, Henan has thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on TCM, adhered to the laws of TCM development, leveraged local advantages, seized development opportunities, and promoted the high-quality inheritance and innovative development of TCM across Henan. He noted that by focusing on "AI empowerment" as a key approach, this year's forum offered new perspectives and pathways for addressing challenges in TCM development and advancing its modernization.
Wang Yaoxian, President of HUCM, introduced the university's active explorations and achievements in the integration of "TCM + Artificial Intelligence" in his speech. He stated that the university had established 17 joint R&D centers including the Digital-Intelligence TCM Research Institute and released landmark achievements such as the Zhang Zhongjing Robot and Zhang Zhongjing Large Model. Additionally, they incorporated artificial intelligence into general compulsory courses and provided support for young students to participate in national-level competitions, so as to continuously strengthen the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents in "TCM + AI".
During the keynote forum, Liu Baoyan, President of World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies, Wang Yaoxian, President of HUCM, and Zhou Xuezhong, Professor of Beijing Jiaotong University, shared their cutting-edge insights by delivering reports on topics such as "The Underlying Logic of AI Empowering TCM" "AI-Enabled Training of Interdisciplinary TCM Technical Talent Under the 'Five-Sphere Integrated Plan' Framework in the New Medical Science Context" and "AI in TCM Research: Clinical Empowerment and Mechanism Analysis".
During the forum, representatives from domestic and international institutions, including Shanghai University of TCM, the University of Birmingham (UK), Zhejiang Provincial Health Information Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, and Inner Mongolia Medical University, as well as representatives from technology enterprises including Huawei, conducted thematic exchanges on topics ranging from intelligent TCM diagnosis and treatment to the digitalization of national medicine. Two round-table forums focused on topics such as "Full-Scenario Application of TCM AI in Hospitals" and "Application and Prospects of TCM AI in Medical Treatment and Research", where experts delved into practical industry challenges with in-depth discussions.
This year's forum, carrying forward Songshan Forum's mission of promoting mutual learning among civilizations and shared health outcomes, has expanded new ideas and injected new impetus into the integrated development of TCM and artificial intelligence. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Tong LinCorrespondent: Li Mengkai Translator: Cui Wenqi Proofreader: Jiao Dan)
