HKBU Professor Lyu Aiping appointed to WHO Advisory Group on Traditional Medicine, Advancing the Global Development of Chinese Medicine
Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), has been appointed as a member of the newly established Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM) of the World Health Organization (WHO). This important appointment not only affirms the international standing of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and HKBU’s leadership in the field, but also underscores the growing centrality of traditional medicine within the global public health architecture.
Professor Lyu Aiping (second from left, front row) has been appointed as a member of the newly established Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM) of WHO. He is one of the 19 independent experts worldwide.
The appointment was officially announced at the Second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit held in New Delhi, India. The Summit brought together representatives from more than 100 countries to launch the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. The Strategy focuses on strengthening scientific evidence and regulatory frameworks to better integrate traditional medicine into national mainstream health systems. At the Summit’s forum on “Quality, Efficiency and Patient Safety”, Professor Lyu spoke on the use of data-driven strategies to enhance the integration of traditional medicine into healthcare systems.
Strategic Significance of STAG-TM: Charting the Future Direction of Medicine
"Traditional medicine will no longer be an isolated alternative option, but rather integrated into the future global health system to serve human well-being"
Professor Lyu Aiping
Vice-President (Research and Development)
The establishment of STAG-TM is regarded as a key milestone in global health policy. Comprising only 19 independent experts worldwide, the Group is tasked with providing WHO with high-level scientific counsel on global research priorities, norms and policies in the field of traditional and complementary medicine. Professor Lyu’s participation will help ensure that the professional perspectives and evidence-based experience of traditional Chinese medicine and other traditional medical systems are fully reflected in the formulation of future standards for global health governance.
"Traditional medicine will no longer be an isolated alternative option, but rather integrated into the future global health system to serve human well-being," Professor Lyu said of his appointment. "This is my mission at STAG-TM."
Appointment Aligns with Global Trends as TCM Research Output Surges
HKBU has long been committed to advancing research in traditional Chinese medicine and plays a pivotal role in this area. According to a recent big data analytics report jointly released by HKBU and international academic data provider Elsevier, titled Evolving Legacy: Decoding the Scientific Trajectory of Chinese Medicine, the number of research papers related to TCM has more than tripled over the past decade. In light of this rapid expansion in research activity, the role of STAG-TM is especially critical. The Group will focus on enhancing research quality, promoting standardisation, and facilitating the effective translation of research findings into national policies, thereby supporting the robust global development and wider application of traditional medicine.
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Professor Lyu Aiping is currently Chair Professor at the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU and Dr. Kennedy Y.H. Wong Endowed Professor in Chinese Medicine. In 2022, he was elected a Foreign Member of Academia Europaea in recognition of his outstanding scholarly contributions to systems medicine over many years.
