Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine Established
The Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen ("The Institute") headed by Professor Aaron Ciechanover was established on March 22nd. The Institute led by Professor Ciechanover, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry in 2004, is the third Nobel laureate led institute of the University.
Guests present at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Institute include Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Mr. Gao Zimin, Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr. Zhong Hai, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee, Mr. Lai Qunyang, Deputy Counsel of Shenzhen Education Bureau, Mr. Chen Guangwen, Deputy Director of Longgang District, Professor Yangsheng Xu, President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Prof. Tom Luo, Vice President (Academic) and Prof. K.C. YUEN, Vice President (Administration).
Professor Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2004, serves as Distinguished Professor of Research at the Israel Institute of Technology. He is a Foreign Member of the American Academy of Sciences, and an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine has two major research focuses: precision medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and infectious disease; regenerative medicine for stem cell based treatment of stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, etc. Precision medicine is an extremely important and hot frontier area that combines and transcends many research disciplines such as medicine, pharmaceutics, life science, genomics, big data and artificial intelligence. Regenerative medicine has become a vitally important area of medical research, development and commercialization. The Institute will seize the strategic opportunity vital to human health and high technology development and fully capitalize on the existing technological advantages and global influence of many world-renowned scientists of the Institute to become a world-class research and development organization within a short period of time. Through close collaboration with other research platforms of CUHK-Shenzhen such as Robot Institute of CUHK-Shenzhen, Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data, Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Arieh Warshel Institute of Computational Biology and with many companies in Shenzhen on technology transfer and commercialization, the Institute will play a leading role in the development of world-class biopharmaceutical and health industries in Shenzhen Municipality and the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau.
Shenzhen Vice Mayor Mr. Gao Zimin addresses the audience
As Mr. Gao Zimin, Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen, said in his speech: “The biopharmaceutical and health industries are the most active emerging industries in the 21st century. Acceleration of the innovation and development of biomedicine and precision medicine is of great significance for seizing the commanding height in a new round of scientific, technological and industrial revolution. By doing so, we can accelerate the growth of new industries, develop a new economy, cultivate new momentum, and build a 'healthy China' .”
Nobel Laureate Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, head of the Institute addresses the audience
Nobel laureates favor CUHK-Shenzhen due to Shenzhen's innovative atmosphere and the University's internationalization
Since its establishment in March 2014, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen has introduced a number of well-known professors and experts and established various international technology innovation platforms, which propel the University to develop its education and scientific research capabilities rapidly. When talking about why the University is attractive to Nobel laureates, President Xu Yangsheng said that the first advantage of CUHK-Shenzhen is its location as Shenzhen is a city full of vitality and innovative atmosphere. Moreover, Shenzhen is at the forefront in terms of biomedicine and IT. The second advantage is the international characteristics of the University, which attract many international professors and students.
Professor Aaron Ciechanover believes that the Institute was established in the right place and at the right time. Although being a new university, CUHK-Shenzhen inherits the high-quality research and innovation of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and in various ways. It takes advantage of the innovative atmosphere of Shenzhen, one of the fastest growing cities in the world. All these geographical advantages will help the Institute to flourish. In terms of timing, we are in an era where higher education and technological innovation are regarded as the top priorities for development. Health issues, energy issues, and environmental issues have also received increasing attention. Professor Aaron Ciechanover also expressed high hopes for the development of the Institute: “The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen embraces scholars from all over the world to work and communicate here. Various platforms established in the field of biomedicine will lead the relevant development in Shenzhen and the entire Greater Bay Area. We will integrate the biomedical engineering, chemistry, big data, computer science, and other subject resources at CUHK-Shenzhen to cultivate cross-disciplinary research talents who can make rational use of resources with team spirit.”
President of CUHK-Shenzhen Yangsheng Xu addresses the audience
Research results of Nobel Laureate teams benefit undergraduate teaching New programmes including Biomedical Engineering are set up
“The Institutes were founded not because we specifically introduced Nobel Prize laureates. Instead, these Nobel Prize laureates have already worked at the university. After a period of scientific research cooperation and mutual understanding, the time is ripe and it is natural to set up such research institutes.” President Yangsheng Xu believed bringing the strength of their research teams is of great significance when these Nobel Prize laureates work here. The team cooperation will help bring research results to benefit undergraduate education to a new height. In this year's undergraduate enrollment, the University will offer a new biomedical engineering programme. The establishment of the Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine greatly promotes the development of biomedical engineering disciplines, while enhancing the interconnection between research and teaching.
In 2018, the University will open a new "Nobel Class" and will provide world-class faculty including Nobel Prize laureates, Turing Award winners and Fields Award winners for outstanding undergraduate students. Through a personalized training plan which adapts to their aptitude, the University will create a first-rate learning and research environment for outstanding undergraduates with strong academic disciplines. Besides, the introduction of the Nobel Prize laureate teams will provide a strong teaching and scientific research force for the “Nobel Class”.
Inauguration Ceremony with Mr. Gao Zimin, Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen, Prof. Xu Yangsheng, President of CUHK-Shenzhen, Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, President of the Institute, and Prof. Huang Ziwei, Executive Vice President of the Institute
These three research institutes led by Nobel Laureates of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, namely Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery and Arieh Warshel Institute of Computational Biology, are different in research focus and research direction. In terms of specific projects, research objectives, researchers, technologies, and equipment, they are independent yet complementary. The Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine focuses on the development and application of new diagnostic technologies and therapeutic models in clinical medicine, especially cancer, nervous system disorders, and infectious diseases. The institutes will work closely and provide corresponding technical support for research fields of biomedicine, thereby creating synergies and a giant "collective innovation carrier" to explore a new path for scientific research innovation in Chinese universities. The Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine will inject enormous momentum into the innovation of biology, chemistry, medicine, and pharmaceutical science, helping Shenzhen involve into a world-renowned innovation city.
