Maltese Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation Clifton Grima speaks during the opening ceremony of the Zheng He TCM Education Centre in Paola, Malta, on Nov. 15, 2023. A collaborative education center focusing on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) skills training was inaugurated on Wednesday in Paola, Malta. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

A collaborative education center focusing on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) skills training was inaugurated on Wednesday in Paola, Malta.

The newly unveiled center, named the Zheng He TCM Education Center, is situated on the campus of the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST). It represents a joint effort between MCAST and the Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine (JSMC) in east China.

During the opening ceremony, Maltese Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation Clifton Grima said that Malta and China have enjoyed a deep and meaningful relationship featuring deep cooperation in various areas, including education.

Grima expressed confidence that the establishment of the center would inspire exchange and benefit both learners and educators.

Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai said that the project would provide training opportunities for local students to study Chinese medicine and contribute to the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

"I believe that the establishment of the center will open a new window for cooperation and exchanges in the field of medical education between China and Malta," Yu said.

The center is the first of its like established by east China's Jiangsu Province in a European country, according to Chen Guozhong, JSMC head. "We aim to develop the center into an open and integrated international exchange and cooperation platform, making it a model for China-Malta cooperation in the field of medical education," Chen said.

Joachim James Calleja, principal and chief executive officer of MCAST, said that the center is "not just a convergence of two distinguished educational methodologies, but a beacon of global connectivity and cultural exchange." He expressed his anticipation for future endeavors and collaborative projects between MCAST and JSMC.

In July 2021, MCAST and JSMC signed a Memorandum of Understanding. In December of that year, the two sides inked an agreement to establish the center.