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Leading the smart transformation of traditional Chinese medicine

30 Jun 2025

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Professor Li Min was appointed as the new Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU with effect from April this year.
Professor Li Min has completed the 10km event in the Hong Kong Marathon for two consecutive years. This has given her the resilience to carry on with her research and management work.
Professor Li’s academic contributions span four decades, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

As the first female Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU, Professor Li Min has stepped up to a leadership position over the years through unwavering dedication to academic excellence, clinical care and research. This is not only a reflection of the trust of her fellow colleagues and peers, but also a testament of her faith and perseverance in Chinese medicine.

Professor Li’s academic contributions span four decades, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. “By restoring balance to the body—regulating yin and yang, unblocking qi, and nourishing the internal organs—Chinese medicine not only strengthens patients’ body constitutions but also helps mitigate the side effects of Western medicine,” she explains. Under her leadership, her research team has garnered multiple international innovation awards and secured major grants that are advancing integrative treatment models. She looks forward to breaking through the current framework of treating existing illnesses and integrating the concept of “preemptive treatment” in Chinese medicine into the modern disease prevention and treatment systems.

From April this year, Professor Li has taken up the post of Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU. She firmly states: “The School’s foremost priority is to seize the momentum of this new era by integrating teaching, research, and clinical resources, while leveraging alumni networks and industry partnerships to advance the smart transformation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).”

Professor Li reiterates that the future of Chinese medicine lies not in replacing the human touch, but in achieving a balanced synergy between “humans” and “technology”. By embracing innovations such as artificial intelligence and big data, she aspires to cultivate a new generation of globally minded, transdisciplinary practitioners—modern "generalists" with a deep humanist spirit of TCM.

Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital, to be managed by HKBU, is set to begin phased operations this December. Professor Li sees this as a great opportunity for the development of the profession. “There will be a growing demand for Chinese medicine professionals. Not only will this new facility provide students with more hands-on training and employment opportunities, but also help to enhance their practical skills in clinical diagnosis,” she anticipates.

Balancing her roles in administration, research, and education, Professor Li stays energised through a simple habit: regular morning runs. “I run two to three times a week. Long-distance running is a lot like medicine—it’s all about focus, rhythm, and endurance.” For two consecutive years, she has completed the 10km event in the Hong Kong Marathon. This has given her the resilience to carry on with her research and management work despite the challenges she faces.

Inspired by Cheng Zhongling, a medical doctor of the Qing dynasty, she shares a message with her students: “True learning and thinking require deep concentration.” In a fast-changing world, she hopes the next generation of Chinese medicine professionals will lead with both compassion and excellence—finding their own path, with purpose and poise.