The Faculty of Pharmacy of Universidade de Lisboa (FFUL) welcomed a delegation from the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TUCTM), China, led by Vice President Zhang Junhua. The delegation also included representatives from the Tianjin Pharmaceutical Da Ren Tang Group and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Portugal. This institutional visit marked the beginning of a new phase in the academic and scientific collaboration between the two institutions.
At the session was signed a cooperation protocol that promotes joint participation in national and international scientific projects, collaboration and implementation of joint undergraduate and postgraduate teaching activities, and the sharing of equipment and resources.
The meeting was chaired by Graça Soveral, Director of FFUL, who presented the institution, highlighting its academic offerings, educational performance, and research areas. She emphasized the importance of this partnership for both parties, aiming to foster joint training and research in pursuit of solutions for global health.
Olga Silva, FFUL professor and responsible for the mediation with TUCTM, recalled that collaboration between FFUL and various Chinese institutions started in 2017, and the partnership with TUCTM beginning in 2018, marked by the signing of the first cooperation protocol now being renewed.
Zhang Junhua presented TUCTM and highlighted the growing global recognition of Traditional Chinese Medicine, emphasizing the technical modernization efforts to promote its development and integration with contemporary medicine.
Zhou Hong, Deputy General Manager of the Tianjin pharmaceutical company, presented a corporate video and expressed the company’s interest in establishing international partnerships for the development and production of plant-based medicines.
During the round table – International cooperation in pharmaceutical talent development, academic exchanges, and joint research initiatives – João Gonçalves, President of the Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Health Technologies at FFUL, emphasized regulatory sciences as a key starting point for collaboration with TUCTM, enabling the alignment of legal frameworks and facilitating the joint development of medicines and methodologies.
Helena Florindo, Vice Dean for Research at FFUL, identified several areas of potential convergence between the research carried out at FFUL and that in TUCTM, reinforcing the potential for collaborative projects. Helena Margarida Ribeiro, President of the Pedagogical Council of FFUL, highlighted the possibility of implementing joint exchange programs and undergraduate and postgraduate courses, particularly taking advantage of technology for distance learning.
The meeting concluded with a guided tour of FFUL’s facilities, including the recently inaugurated Center for Medicines and Health (CeMS), during which the visiting delegation had the opportunity to explore the conditions available for a successful collaboration.
