About the Institute
History
The institute started with an office at the second floor of the library (currently New Medical Building), and conducted research at the laboratory located on the 6th floor of Taipei-Veterans General Hospital. The institute moved to the first floor of Nursing Building in June 1994, and again to the current location on the 6th floor of Shouren Building in June 2017, with offices, laboratories, and conference areas.
The Institute of Traditional Medicine is the first and only institute for traditional medicine amongst all the national medical colleges in Taiwan and specializes in education and research on traditional medicine (Chinese Medicine). We introduced a Master’s program in August 1991 and a Doctoral program in 1998.
Professor Julia J. Tsuei was the institute’s first director. Professor Chuang-Ye Hong became the second director in August 1992 and Professor Yi-Tsau Huang the third director in January 1997. Since July 2003, Professor Jen-Hwey Chiu has served as the institute’s fourth director. Since August 2009, Professor Tung-Hu Tsai served as the institute’s fifth director since August 2009, and Professor Shu-Ling Fu served as the institute’s sixth direct since October 2015. Since February 2022, Professor Fang-Pey Chen began serving as the institute’s seventh director. In 2025, Professor Tung-Yi Lin was formally appointed as the eighth director of the institute, undertaking the weighty responsibility of its leadership.
| First director | Julia J. Tsuei | 1991 – 1992 |
| Second director | Chuang-Ye Hong | 1992 – 1996 |
| Third director | Yi-Tsau Huang | 1997 – 2003 |
| Fourth director | Jen-Hwey Chiu | 2003 – 2009 |
| Fifth director | Tung-Hu Tsai | 2009 – 2015 |
| Sixth director | Shu-Ling Fu | 2015 – 2022 |
| Seventh director | Fang-Pey Chen | 2022 to 2025 |
| Eighth director | Tung-Yi Lin | 2025 to date |
Founding Aim
- To promote Chinese culture, to break through the bottlenecks in modern medicine, and to cultivate research talent and teachers.
- To follow the trend of global medicine and serve the health of mankind through studying how to combine traditional medicine with modern medicine.
- To standardize, systematize and modernize the diagnostics of traditional medicine by studying and collating traditional pharmacology.
Course Requirements
Master’s Program:
The Master’s program typically requires two years of study and completion of 24 course credits. Originally, the program admitted students under two separate tracks:
Track A: for graduates of programs in Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Dentistry, Post-baccalaureate TCM, or Post-baccalaureate Medicine.
Track B: for graduates of relevant departments in Colleges of Medicine (excluding MD programs), Pharmacy, Science, Engineering, or Agriculture.
As of 2012, the program tracks were consolidated. Admission is granted through either recommendation and screening or the general entrance examination. Approximately 10 students are admitted each year, and to date, more than 270 students have completed the program.
Doctoral Program:
The Ph.D. program requires between two and seven years to complete, with a minimum of 18 course credits. Eligible applicants include those holding a master’s degree in related fields from Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, Engineering, or Agriculture, as well as graduates of MD, TCM, Dentistry, Post-baccalaureate TCM, or Post-baccalaureate Medicine programs who meet the admission requirements. Each year, approximately 6 to 10 students are admitted, and over 80 students have graduated from the doctoral program to date.
Current Students and Faculties
Faculty and students of the institute have long been actively engaged in research, with over 600 papers published in international journals in the fields of medical and biological sciences. In addition to their commitment to teaching and research, our faculty members also participate in cross-strait academic exchanges between Taiwan and mainland China, serve as lifetime members of the Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine (CGCM), and organize both domestic and international academic events in traditional Chinese medicine.
Current Aims
The institute is currently dedicated to promoting the scientific advancement, internationalization, evidence-based validation, and industrial application of traditional medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Its mission is to cultivate future leaders in traditional medicine research and education, to foster an internationalized academic environment, and to enhance the global competitiveness of both faculty and students. By integrating basic research findings with clinical practice and industry applications, the institute aims to realize the goals of translational medicine in its educational endeavors.
Future Development
In August 2024 (ROC Year 113), the institute assisted the College of Medicine in establishing the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at the university. The institute supports the teaching of TCM and traditional medicine courses, and is committed to cultivating a new generation of TCM professionals, including “TCM physician-engineers,” “TCM physician-scientists,” “TCM physicians specializing in long-term care and family medicine,” and “TCM professionals in health policy and global engagement.”
In collaboration with the Department of TCM and the Glycomics Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine under the College of Medicine, the institute is organizing interdisciplinary TCM research teams to advance studies in this field. The National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (NRICM), under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, is located in the university’s Traditional Medicine Building, providing a strategic opportunity for close collaboration in TCM and integrative medicine research.
The institute is also strengthening partnerships by integrating resources from the university, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei City Hospital, NRICM, and Academia Sinica. By leveraging the complementary strengths of these institutions, we aim to establish a national-level research center for traditional Chinese medicine.
