UANL cultivates academic cooperation bonds with India

The Maximum Academic Institution in the State is now the only Mexican Institution to attend the inauguration of the first WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.

This project is sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Indian government and aims to explore the potential of this medicine around the world through science and modern technology.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the opening of the first World Center for Traditional Medicine in India. The shared investment totals 250 billion dollars, and Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon is part of this ambitious project aimed at offering health care on a global scale.

The opening of this center, which is located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, was led by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; the Ambassador of Mexico in India, Federico Salas Loft, and Dr. Manoj Nesari, from the Government of Ayurveda.

This center was presented during the Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit 2022 on April 19 and 20. The UANL formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UANL President, Santos Guzmán Lopez, represented by the Head of International Relations of our institution, Sandra Nora Gonzalez Diaz.

Ancient tradition

“After signing this Memorandum of Understanding, the possibilities are endless for our University. There is significant investment capacity from WHO and India, so it was important to get involved. That is the reason for the immediate response from Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon,” Gonzalez Diaz said.

The UANL Head of International Relations, who traveled to India, added that the center will have a unique model of health care, as it aims to unlock the benefits of traditional medicine from all over the world through science and modern technologies.

Universities from five countries are involved in this center. From Mexico, there are three institutions representing the government of India: UNAM, the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and UANL. Our institution was the only one present at the event with the participation of UANL President, Santos Guzmán López, represented by the Head of International Relations, alongside institutions from Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and the Philippines”.

Sandra Nora Gonzalez Diaz
UANL Head of International Relations

At the opening ceremony, it was noted that the World Center for Traditional Medicine will focus its work on setting a solid evidence base for policies and standards on traditional medicine practices and products. It will help countries integrate this into their health systems and regulate its quality and safety for optimal and sustainable impact.

The global center will support these strategic areas to optimize the contribution of traditional medicine to global health and sustainable development:

• Evidence and Learning
• Data and analysis
• Sustainability and equity
• Innovation and technology

It is worth mentioning that UANL has maintained an alliance with Nanjing University in the Postgraduate area of the School of Medicine, which has offered the Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the last 15 years. A specialization program that has grown in strength and has a high demand for enrollment.

“There are people who may wrongly confuse traditional medicine with quackery, however, it has a confirmed scientific basis and is an important contribution to modern medicine. Traditional medicine is quite an interesting complement and, combined with technology, it is at the service of the community,” explained Dr. Sandra Nora Gonzalez Diaz.

This is why the center is established as a project that aims at technological development of this ancient medicinal sector in order to create new natural treatments for the improvement of health.

Traditional Indian medicine, known as “Ayurveda”, is the legacy of more than 4,000 years of wisdom that conceives the human being as an integrated unit of body, mind, and spirit.

“For many millions of people worldwide, traditional medicine is the first stop for treating many diseases,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during the inauguration.

He further stated that it is WHO’s mission to ensure that all people have access to effective treatments and that this new center will help harness the power of science to boost the scientific evidence base of traditional medicine.