Standing on stage at APMEC in Singapore, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in healthcare education, I was reminded of AMEE’s vital role in shaping holistic practitioners around the globe. My recent trip to the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC) and the First Affiliated Hospital – Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou was filled with inspiring moments, strategic meetings, and exciting opportunities for collaboration—all with the goal of advancing AMEE’s mission.
APMEC 2025: Highlighting AMEE’s Role
On 18 January 2025, I travelled from the UK to Singapore to attend APMEC, organised by the National University of Singapore and had the privilege of speaking at a symposium titled: “Non-Governmental Sector’s Role in Developing a Holistic Practitioner”
It was an incredible opportunity to highlight AMEE’s work, and the talk was well-received, offering great visibility for our organisation.
Guangzhou: Strengthening Partnerships with SYSU
From Singapore, I travelled to Guangzhou to meet with the President of the First Affiliated Hospital at Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYSU), Professor Haipeng Xiao and his colleagues, where AMEE’s China Office and International Networking Centre (INC) has been based for the past decade. This partnership has been transformative: up till now, there are 1120 persons trained through our ESME courses, 493 faculty with one or more ESME certificates, 45 clinical faculty awarded the Associate Fellowship of AMEE and 2 Honorary Fellowship of AMEE, 32 enrolled in the Master’s Program for Health Professions Education, all of which translated into a torrent of advancements in teaching and learning, in curriculum design, in faculty development, in educational scholarship, and in academic influence both locally and beyond. This fruitful partnership culminated in the ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award (International Collaboration in Health Professions Education track) for AMEE and FAH-SYSU in 2023. During this visit, our main goal was to discuss their transition to becoming AMEE’s first Regional Centre of Excellence (RCE).
Professor Xiao’s visionary leadership and strong commitment to education are inspiring. During my visit, I toured their impressive campus, which includes two mobile medical units—a mobile MRI scanner and a mobile ICU and I also had the opportunity to deliver a talk to their faculty which had fantastic engagement and interaction.
Cultural Highlights
Of course, no trip to China would be complete without exploring the local cuisine. I sampled a variety of dishes, from chicken claw soup to goose liver, snow crab, and deep-sea garoupa. The signature pineapple bun was a standout favourite, though I had to draw the line at jellyfish!
Reflections and Next Steps
This trip has been a resounding success for AMEE from a strategic perspective. Developing our institutional strategy to expand our International Networking Centres and launch our first Regional Centre of Excellence is a key priority, and the progress made during this journey feels deeply inspiring. The partnerships we’re building in Asia-Pacific and China are driving AMEE’s mission forward, ensuring we continue to connect, grow, and inspire healthcare educators worldwide.
I wanted to share these experiences with you to highlight where AMEE is focusing and to keep our community informed. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to comment and share your perspectives!
