Press Release

HKBU announces the submission of new medical school proposal and expresses gratitude for the unwavering support from the Preparatory and Expert Advisory Committees

Monday, 17 March 2025

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) submitted the proposal for establishing a new medical school to the Task Group on New Medical School of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (17 March). Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU and Convener of the Preparatory Committee for the New Medical School, and Professor Lee Sum Ping and Professor Manson Fok, Co-Chairmen of the Preparatory Committee, expressed their gratitude to all members of the Preparatory Committee and Expert Advisory Committee for their exceptional dedication and unwavering support in this initiative, to all the supporting institutions and professionals from Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Mainland, and the world for their strong encouragement and endorsement of our innovative medical education and research programmes, and are thankful that the Council of the University unanimously approved the approaches for the medical school application.

Professor Alex Wai, who submitted the proposal to the Task Group this morning, said, “I would like to convey my heartfelt appreciation to our Preparatory Committee and Expert Advisory Committee members for their contribution of multifaceted expertise and professional insights throughout our proposal preparation process. The proposal embodies HKBU’s commitment to excellence, and our collaborative team spirit has been instrumental in shaping a comprehensive and forward-thinking proposal that aligns with our vision of advancing medical education and research, while fulfilling the requirements and in line with the directions established by the Task Force. I am also grateful for the Council’s full support to the innovative and practicable approaches for the medical school proposal that the Committees have put forward. It has been an exciting journey thus far and we are fully confident that our proposal will offer extremely competitive elements which address the key parameters outlined by the Task Force.”

Co-Chairmen Professor Manson Fok and Professor Lee Sum Ping jointly stated, “The diverse perspectives that our professional Committee members and networks brought together have laid a strong foundation for HKBU’s new medical school endeavours. These ideas converge and have been distilled into the several key aspects of innovative education curriculum, the cutting-edge transdisciplinary research and development, the substantial support by various GBA and international partners, and the unique edge of Chinese-Western medicine integration - a key element in future healthcare, especially in Hong Kong and the Mainland.” 

“The quality and expertise of our team members are extraordinary, and we are prepared to collaborate and revolutionise Hong Kong's healthcare with a clear vision. This platform will also lay the foundation to drive Hong Kong and the GBA to be a leader in medical education and research globally. The strong encouragement and endorsement by our local and global partners after knowing our innovative medical education and research approaches will certainly drive more global collaborations and foster Hong Kong to be a leader globally in medical education and research,” stated Professor Fok and Professor Lee.

HKBU intends to establish the new medical school as the “Frontier Integrative Medical College” – a name which reflects its commitment to pioneering advancements in medicine by harmoniously integrating innovative technologies and cutting-edge research with the timeless wisdom of traditional and Chinese medicine coupled together with the Western medicine’s forward thinking, fostering a holistic understanding of health and healing that bridges diverse medical practices for comprehensive patient care. It also amalgamates the vision and mission of HKBU’s new medical school, as well as our intention to collaborate with local, national and global partners. 

The medical school’s name also resonates with the “Frontier Translational Medical Research Institute,” with 2020 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Sir Michael Houghton, Professor Johnson Lau and Professor Manson Fok as founding members, and Dr Robert J Spiegel as a member, as announced in late February. This institute will serve as a hub for advanced research and development in medical science and healthcare which attaches great emphasis to innovations, technology translation, and real-life application. Together, these two entities will offer an innovative model to seamlessly integrate medical education, innovation and technology translation.

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