The UIC General Education Office (UIC-GEO) and the University of Sydney jointly held an online interdisciplinary workshop on 24 June. The workshop was titled: From Medical Pluralism to Medical Singularism? Reviving, Revising, and Commodifying Traditional Medicines for a Market Economy. The workshop discussed the future development of traditional medicine.
In his opening speech, UIC Provost Prof Chen Zhi said that traditional Chinese medicine is gradually recognised internationally. At the same time, systematic medical heritages in other parts of Asia have been unearthed. An integrated healthcare delivery approach, which combines modern and traditional medicine, is significant for tackling major health problems.
Prof Chen giving a speech
In the introduction speech, GEO Associate Professor Dr Md. Nazrul Islam said that traditional medicines across the world have been commodified increasingly because of their entry into the market economy. Traditional medicines have been revised and adopted apparatus from Western medicine although this didn't happen vice versa. The workshop was also a part of Dr Islam's College Research Grant project.
The workshop was conducted around various topics. They included the status quo of medical pluralism and the key challenges, evolving global economies of medical pluralism, branding of the traditional pharmaceutical industry, and traditional medicine and the COVID-19 scene. Participants involved more than 30 scholars and practitioners in the traditional medicine industry, from the University of Sydney in Australia, University Sains Malaysia, Ryerson University in Canada, Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea, and other higher education institutions from all around the world.
A scholar shares insights about opportunities and challenges faced by herbal remedies in Korea 
A scholar discusses traditional and complementary medicine in Malaysia
Director of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, at the School of Social and Political Sciences, the University of Sydney, Prof Alex Broom, mentioned that society could combine the traditional healthcare system with medicines to combat healthcare emergencies.
Prof Alex Broom
According to Associate Director of GEO, Dr Mark Perry, all people live in the world family, with a vast knowledge base. However, nowadays, multiple diseases are threatening human beings. Therefore, he suggests that society should use the existing knowledge base and remain open-minded for valuable information related to traditional medicine, which can be applied when solving health problems.
Dr Mark Perry points out the significance of the workshop
From MPRO
Reporter: Du Jiewen
Editors: Samuel Burgess, Deen He
