The Visiting Professors play a critical role in our China Initiative. Our Visiting Professors, many of whom were the pioneers of integrative medicine, will assist us to build a global team of outstanding clinicians, educators and researchers who have extensive knowledge of both modern Western and Chinese medicine. This team will work with us to establish a model system of comprehensive care with emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation through an integrated practice of East-West medicine and will disseminate this model through extensive education and training programs throughout the world.

Our first Visiting Professor was Professor Keji Chen. Professor Chen is one of the core people who developed the field of integrative medicine. In recognition of this achievement, in 2003, Professor Chen was honored by the Chinese government as a recipient of the First Class National Award of Science and Technology, China’s highest honor in these fields. This was the first time that an integrative medicine and Chinese medicine specialist received this most prestigious---the most prestigious---award.