2008-2013: 5th anniversary of the IRCAD Taiwan training center

On Monday, October 7, 2013, among playful dragons and rolling drums, Professor Jacques MARESCAUX, President of the IRCAD France and Professor Min Ho HUANG, President of the IRCAD Taiwan and of the Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Taiwan celebrated the 5th anniversary of the creation of the IRCAD Taiwan in Taichung (Taiwan) along with Alain BERETZ, President of Strasbourg’s University, Jean-Michel CLAVERT, President of the Strasbourg’s University Hospitals Medical Committee, Jean-François LANOT, Deputy Director of Strasbourg’s University Hospitals, Pierre-Louis FAGNIEZ, former advisor of Valerie Pécresse, Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sophie ROHFRITSCH, Deputy, Vice President of the Regional Council of Alsace, Marcel-Pierre CLEACH, Senator of the Sarthe département, Jean-Marc PASTOR, Senator of the Tarn département, and Taiwanese politicians among whom David LIN, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wen-ta CHIU, Minister of Health, not to forget some 30 international expert surgeons also present.

IRCAD Taiwan is the counterpart of IRCAD France in Strasbourg. The Taiwanese center trains Asian surgeons to new minimally invasive surgical techniques. In addition to training facilities, IRCAD Taiwan runs a research and development department in the fields of computer science and medical imaging.
Professor Jacques Marescaux was extremely happy with the successful development of IRCAD Taiwan’s activities, living proof of French excellence in the field of surgery worldwide.

Professor Min Ho Huang praised the great success and benefits of IRCAD Taiwan after 5 years of existence
Over 4,000 surgeons have been trained at IRCAD Taiwan since 2008. Trainees mostly originating from China, but also from the whole of Asia. IRCAD Taiwan also attracts Asian surgeons who are put on a waiting list at IRCAD France.
As far as research is concerned, Professor Min Ho Huang announced that the achievements of the R&D Department were about to take a leading part as the Taiwanese Taipei-based government decided to create a biocluster around IRCAD Taiwan in the fields of 3D medical imaging and computer sciences based on the French Strasbourg-based model.

Joint partnership between IRCAD France and IRCAD Taiwan
IRCAD France takes on the responsibility for the scientific organization of training sessions held at IRCAD Taiwan (selection of topics and experts, scientific evaluation, etc.).
IRCAD Taiwan handles the administrative and financial aspects and duties of the training center along with the practical modalities of on-site courses.
The relationship between the 2 institutes is bilateral and well-balanced. IRCAD Taiwan brings as many benefits to IRCAD France as IRCAD France does to IRCAD Taiwan. As a matter of fact, specific pathologies such as liver carcinomas are more commonly found in Asia, which allows IRCAD France to recruit the best of Asian expert surgeons from Taiwan, South Korea and China to participate in its courses. Asian experts are just as experienced, if not more experienced than their European or American counterparts.
IRCAD France brings its experience, expertise, methodology as well as its network of world-renowned experts.
For the industrial partners of IRCAD France, the implantation of an Institute in Taiwan represents a true advantage as it allows them to benefit from an outstanding Asian environment in the fields of engineering and electronics, and especially with the presence of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Evolution of the political background between Taiwan and China since 2008
Professor Min Ho Huang, who is leading a network of 8 hospitals across Taiwan, was seen as a true visionary figure. In 2006, he anticipated that Taiwan would open up to China, as well as the possibility to train Chinese surgeons in the center that he wished to build in Taiwan.
Indeed, at that time, the first direct line flights between Taiwan and China had hardly resumed after having been discontinued for 55 years. Since 2008, the coming together of China and Taiwan has developed and has been reinforced with 558 line flights currently available between Taiwan and China each week.

[video_ircad file=”20131007_5ansIrcadTaiwan” hd=”1″ lang=”en” credits=”Pascal RIEDINGER, Riedproductions”]