On October 30, the 2023 Shanghai Medical Forum, hosted by Fudan University Shanghai Medical College (SHMC), opened in Shanghai. Themed “Health for All – A Global Community of Health,” the forum aims to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with top global universities, build international consensus, pool wisdom from all sectors, and draw on advanced global experience. It seeks to contribute to innovating medical education concepts, enriching multi-dimensional models of health governance, and enhancing Shanghai’s global influence in the health sector. This event marked the first in-person edition of the Shanghai Medical Forum, bringing together more than 300 distinguished guests.
Academician Jin Li, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, President of Fudan University, and Dean of Shanghai Medical College, delivered the welcome address. Additional opening remarks were delivered by Tang Jiwei, Senior Inspector of the Department of Degree Management and Graduate Education of the Ministry of Education; Ye Linlin, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission; and Lu Taohong, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission.
In his remarks, Jin Li emphasized that health is the most important measure of a happy life and a shared pursuit of humanity. He cited President Xi Jinping’s address at the Global Health Summit in May 2021, which called on all nations to “join hands to jointly promote the building of a community of health for all and jointly safeguard a bright future for human health.” Jin Li noted that this vision presents new requirements, goals, and opportunities for global health development. With its theme centered on “Health for All – A Global Community of Health,” this year’s forum aims to deepen international exchange among global health experts, share successful global experiences in health governance, explore innovative concepts in medical education, expand new models of public health governance, and build shared global consensus. He expressed hope that experts from around the world would use the forum to thoroughly discuss pressing issues in human health, present their latest research findings, exchange cutting-edge technologies and clinical advancements, and spark new ideas that ultimately advance the building of a global community of health for all.
Tang Jiwei highlighted the critical role of medical education in building both a “Healthy China” and an “Education Powerhouse.” He noted that, in the new era, the Ministry of Education has accelerated the development of medical education with unprecedented commitment, establishing a high-quality, Chinese-characteristics medical talent training system and cultivating a large number of health professionals. Facing both opportunities and challenges, Tang emphasized the need to further accelerate innovation in medical education, jointly build a higher-level medical education system, explore new forms and models of medical education, strengthen breakthroughs in key medical areas, and advance the global community of health for all. He underscored the importance of leveraging the unique strengths of medical education, deepening international exchanges and cooperation, and jointly promoting global health development.
Ye Linlin noted that “health for all” is a shared aspiration of humanity. The forum’s theme is aligned with the current trend of advancing global health integration. Hosting the forum at SHMC reflects the essential mission of medical education in contributing to the building of a global community of health. She added that the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission places great emphasis on innovative development in medical education, supporting medical institutions in cultivating high-level medical talent, strengthening deep collaboration with world-class universities and research institutes, sharing high-quality educational resources, and jointly addressing global health challenges to promote sustainable global health development.
Lu Taohong emphasized that international health cooperation is an important pillar of Shanghai’s public health strategy and a crucial approach for addressing global health challenges. Shanghai has long been actively engaged in international health affairs, offering valuable insights and experience to the global community. At present, the city is advancing high-quality development in its health sector. This forum, he noted, reflects SHMC’s deep historical foundation and strong academic influence. He expressed hope that the event would not only serve as a platform for academic exchange among global experts but also enable more domestic medical colleges, healthcare institutions, and medical research and education units to learn from international best practices, broaden international cooperation, and inject new momentum into China’s health sector.
Attending the opening ceremony were Yuan Zhenghong, Deputy Secretary of the Fudan University Party Committee and Party Secretary of Shanghai Medical College; Academician Liu Maili of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the Precision Measurement Science and Technology Innovation Institute; Ye Yang, Party Committee Secretary and Deputy Director of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Ren Minghui, former Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization and Professor at the School of Public Health at Peking University; Zhou Xin, Director of the Precision Measurement Science and Technology Innovation Institute; Wang Jian, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Institute of Biomedical Technology; and other Party and administrative leaders of SHMC. The opening ceremony was chaired by Wu Fan, Vice Dean of Shanghai Medical College.
During the event, the Fudan University Institute of Medical Education released the Report on Fudan University’s Medical Education and Academic Influence from a Comparative Research Perspective.
Dr. Tom Frieden, former Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), delivered a keynote speech titled “Building Global Collaboration and Partnerships for a Healthy World and Healthy People.” He called for deeper international collaboration in health and outlined six key areas essential for sustainable health development. He emphasized the central role of tobacco control, noting that no health policy can succeed without reducing tobacco use. He stressed the need to reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke—global leading health threats—which requires supportive government policies, improved drug and equipment supply, and team-based care. He highlighted the importance of strong, patient-centered primary healthcare; global efforts to curb antibiotic resistance; air pollution control; and the strengthening of public health systems capable of rapidly detecting and stopping outbreaks.
This year’s forum highlights the latest academic advancements in global health and leverages high-level international exchanges to build a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, and open medical dialogue platform. The two-day event features distinguished speakers including Sir Jeremy Nicholson, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK) and Director of the Australian National Phenome Centre; Professor Jonathan Weber, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London; Professor Gong Peng, Vice-President for Academic Development at the University of Hong Kong; Professor Paul Elliott, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK) and Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Imperial College London; Professor Lam Kwong-wan, Executive Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong; Academician Yuan Guoyong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Dr. Vonthanak Saphonn, President of the University of Health Sciences of Cambodia; Dr. Lee Errett, President of the Bethune Medical Development Association of Canada and Professor at the Global Surgery Department of the University of Toronto; Dr. Yukio Yuzawa, President of Fujita Health University in Japan; and Academician K.K. Toguzbaeva of the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences. These experts gathered to discuss the theme “Health for All – A Global Community of Health,” and will join renowned scholars across three sub-forums: “Culture, Environment, and Human Health,” “Application and Development of Multi-omics Technologies,” and “Translational Science and International Cooperation.”
