The Current Situation and Prospects of Higher

Acupuncture Education in the UK

Tianjun Wang

Abstract: Abstract: This article reviews the history of the development of acupuncture higher education in the UK and analyzes an overview of undergraduate acupuncture courses once offered by some universities in the UK and the reasons why they were all closed. The focus is on analyzing the current situation of acupuncture higher education in the UK, including a focus on the fact that the curriculum is currently predominantly three- year undergraduate courses, with some two- year and one-year short-term courses; looking at the founders and main teaching staff of most acupuncture colleges being Westerners, and that the students are mainly Westerners; the main teaching materials currently used in higher acupuncture education in the UK are all written by Westerners; acupuncture teaching clinics are all student-centered and mainly meet the needs of acupuncture students. This status quo will not change significantly in the short term. There is also a trend of Chinese TCM teachers in the UK establishing higher education acupuncture colleges and taking the lead in compiling acupuncture textbooks.

Keywords: British acupuncture education, acupuncture academic system, acupuncture textbooks, acupuncture practice, review, and prospects

Acupuncture education in the UK started in the 1970s. It was initially conducted as a small, informal private school without certification or supervision. It gradually developed into more than 20 private schools in the early 1990s. Since the early 1990s, some public universities have also begun programs for traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, offering bachelor’s (BA) degrees in acupuncture. Unfortunately, they have since closed. This article will conduct a preliminary exploration and analysis of the current situation of acupuncture higher education in the UK and possible development trends.

Academic acupuncture education started in the 1990s

Before the 1990s, acupuncture education in the UK was limited to private schools. There are over 20 acupuncture colleges and schools of various sizes, some of which have a history spanning over 20 years. Since the 1990s, due to the increasing popularity of complementary medicine in the UK, some public universities began to turn their attention to complementary medicine, such as traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Regular universities have also begun establishing acupuncture majors and improving their academic systems to attract students. British university education is based on market regulation. The universities themselves determine the majors offered by universities. The government pays subsidies based on the number of students enrolled in the university. The university is not responsible for the employment of graduates. Some universities have successfully opened degree programs focusing on acupuncture, most of which are undergraduate, and a few offer postgraduate education. At its hight, more than ten universities offered undergraduate acupuncture education courses.

At that time, there were two main ways to offer acupuncture majors in British universities. One was to cooperate with an existing private acupuncture school or Chinese college of traditional Chinese medicine. For example, in 1995, the University of Westminster absorbed The London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine allowing the university to offer the acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine major directly, thus pioneering an acupuncture and moxibustion major at a regular British university. The other example is Middlesex University which organized an undergraduate education in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in 1997, based on the Chinese five-year traditional Chinese medicine education system, later changing it to a three-year undergraduate education that is more in line with British standards for CM education. Another model is to establish the acupuncture major from scratch. For example, the University of East London recruited acupuncture lecturers in 2007, provided relevant teaching venues and facilities, and established an undergraduate acupuncture degree program entirely by itself.

The United Kingdom offers academic education in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture at regular national universities, which is relatively rare in Western countries. It has greatly increased the influence of traditional Chinese medicine, especially acupuncture, in Western society. Most of these acupuncture majors are established in health or public health-related departments and do not fall within the scope of medical education. These Chinese medicine and acupuncture majors offered at universities have received course accreditation from the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB), and graduates can directly join the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). The general list of acupuncture majors offered by some universities in the UK is as follows.

After 2010, due to the impact of the financial crisis, the government’s subsidies for higher education at universities were significantly reduced. Due to the failure of efforts to pass national-level acupuncture legislation, there is an ongoing debate about whether acupuncture is scientific. Due to the reduction of social demand, etc., the UK Universities have all eliminated their majors in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Currently, there are no universities that provide higher education in TCM and acupuncture.

Table 1: Overview of the Original Acupuncture (TCM) Majors in Some British Universities

Basic status of the academic system of acupuncture higher education in the UK

There is no national-level acupuncture legislation in the UK, therefore, the legal status of acupuncture in the UK is unregulated, and the title of acupuncturist is not protected. In other words, anyone can claim to be an acupuncturist without formal education, training, or examination. This is a great danger for the quality and safety of acupuncture industry services and also affects the credibility and development of acupuncture in the UK. To protect the professionalism of acupuncture and the interests of the public, as well as the interests of practicing acupuncturists, some acupuncture industry associations and related organizations have successively formulated standards and specifications for acupuncture, as well as some specifications for acupuncture education and training courses. At present, all of these standards are voluntary.

The academic system of higher acupuncture education in the UK can be divided into three categories: three-year undergraduate, two-year junior college, and short-term training courses of one year or less.

Three-year undergraduate or similar level acupuncture education

Currently, all acupuncture higher education in the UK is private, with a three-year undergraduate course or similar levels of acupuncture education. Bachelor’s diplomas cannot be issued. Some of the three-year private colleges are affiliated with public universities and, through certification, can also issue undergraduate and bachelor’s degree diplomas.

Several private acupuncture colleges in the UK have been around for decades. Most of their founders and principle lecturers are Westerners. The International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM). led by the famous Western acupuncturist Dr van Buren, it was the earliest, founded in 1972, and is still in operation^［1］. Some private acupuncture colleges were established very early and later closed down. Some Chinese TCM teachers were involved in acupuncture education at Western universities or colleges in the early days. In recent years, they have also begun to establish three-year undergraduate-level TCM schools with mainly Chinese lecturers, such as the London School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture^［2］and Manchester College of Traditional Chinese Medicine^［3］.

The scale and influence of these newer Chinese-founded traditional Chinese medicine schools are not as substantial as those of the older Western Chinese medicine and acupuncture schools, and they need a gradual development process.

The courses in these traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture schools are similar to simplified versions of professional Chinese national acupuncture courses. They generally do not provide Western medicine courses, or only provide basic anatomy, physiology, and pathology courses. However, acupuncture-related courses are more detailed and specific and pay more attention to clinical education and internships. Different colleges also have characteristics differences in terms of curriculum and other aspects.

Based on the situation of the existing three-year acupuncture education courses, consulting the websites of the relevant colleges, and other information, a brief overview of the three-year acupuncture courses in the UK is listed below (Table 2).

Table 2: Brief list of Three-year Acupuncture Courses in the UK college

Two-year college education

In addition to the three-year undergraduate-level acupuncture higher education, some British acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine colleges have shorter two-year academic programs to meet the needs of students who want to complete their studies more quickly.

Some of these two-year colleges of traditional Chinese medicine have been established for decades and have trained many traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture practitioners, such as the British Lan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Manchester^［4］.

One-year and other short-term training

There are some one-year and short-term acupuncture training courses in the UK, or modular teaching models, where a single technique is taught separately, and a single technique certificate is issued upon completion, such as the Comprehensive Treatment Training Center TTT^［5］.

Some colleges offer special acupuncture courses lasting one year or less. For example, the London School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in addition to the regular three-year acupuncture diploma course also offers a one-year medical acupuncture class for medical professionals such as doctors and nurses. For practitioners who have studied short-term TCM courses in different countries or regions, or have been working in the TCM industry for more than three years but have not yet completed a complete and systematic TCM course, and wish to systematically learn or provide professional skills in a certain area, a one-year TCM acupuncture apprenticeship course has been established to meet the needs of these people^［3］.

Main textbooks for higher acupuncture education in the UK

There are almost no state-designated or unified set of teaching materials in British higher education, including acupuncture studies. Most institutions select their teaching resources based on their individual course designs within relevant professional certification committee syllabi or guidelines. Course leaders often recommend multiple texts rather than just one or two.

PPresently, the most commonly used acupuncture textbooks are authored by local experts, with few edited by professionals from China. Notable textbooks include:

The Foundations of Chinese Medicine and The Practice of Chinese Medicine by Giovani Maciocia, A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman et al., and Huang Di Nei Jing-Su Wen by Paul Unschuld et al.

Compiling acupuncture textbooks in China has remained largely unchanged for decades. Recent English versions of these textbooks often cater to something other than Western students’ learning preferences and standards, as they are primarily designed for individuals with a medical background and contain numerous medical terms. Some issues also arise from subpar English translations and printing quality. Students frequently need help comprehending the content of English textbooks published in China despite their being written in English. To maintain a competitive edge in the global acupuncture market, there is a need for improved teaching materials. Chinese acupuncture teachers have started contributing to textbook compilations, such as Professors Wang Tianjun and Wang Weixiang from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. Together with other experts in TCM acupuncture treatment and teaching, they have collaborated on the first English version of Acupuncture Techniques – A Practical Manual， set to be published by Springer Nature. This publication is expected to address the shortage of acupuncture and moxibustion textbooks in international acupuncture education.

Characteristics of clinical practice in higher acupuncture education in the UK

The three-year acupuncture higher education course in the UK mandates 300 to 400 hours of clinical practice for students, with requirements evenly distributed^［6］. In contrast to the common five-year programs in China that initiate internships in the third year, UK acupuncture students typically begin clinical internships in the latter half of the first year. This phase primarily involves observing diagnostic practices and becoming accustomed to positioning and procedures. Internships for UK acupuncture majors are commonly held in college-run acupuncture clinics, although some partnerships with external clinics are established for student placements. While rare, internships at specialized teaching hospitals are also possible.

Characteristics of these clinic internships include

1.A clear focus on student practice, a student-centered approach, and patient cooperation with student observations and procedures, such as taking medical histories, examining tongues and pulses, and administering acupuncture treatments.

2. Each student’s internship activities are meticulously documented, signed, and archived.

3.Clinic fees are typically modest, ranging from ￡10 to ￡20 per session, significantly lower than community acupuncture charges of ￡40-￡80. Some clinics offer free or reduced-cost services to maintain patient volume and diversity.

4.Each student sees one patient per hour or hour-and-a-half, with 4 to 8 students practicing simultaneously to allow ample time for explanations, procedures, and questions.

5.Detailed medical records are kept, and students must maintain comprehensive records of their internship experiences.

6.Safety guidelines include room sanitation, hand hygiene, emergency preparedness, waste disposal, personal grooming standards, and adherence to safety protocols during acupuncture.

7.Safety training is mandatory for students beginning their clinic internships before each semester.

Preliminary prospects for higher acupuncture education in the UK

In the foreseeable future, private colleges will continue to offer acupuncture higher education in the UK, featuring a three-year academic system. Teaching and management will be predominantly led by Westerners, and textbooks will mainly be authored by Westerners. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in Chinese-founded acupuncture higher education programs as well as English-language acupuncture textbooks authored by Chinese writers.

As the demand for natural therapies grows globally, the quality of acupuncture practitioners improves, and high-quality acupuncture research is continually being published, there is also a potential for reintroducing acupuncture legislation in the UK. If acupuncture becomes regulated, it could create the necessary conditions for acupuncture higher education to re-emerge within the public university academic system.

Summary

British acupuncture higher education has evolved from private education to public university degree programs and back to private education. Typically, the education is at an undergraduate level, lasting three years, although shorter two-year and one-year courses are also available. The management and primary instructors in acupuncture education are predominantly Westerners, with some Chinese instructors beginning to offer Chinese-focused acupuncture education. Like overseas countries and regions, the UK lacks a nationally standardized acupuncture education textbook, with recommended texts typically authored by Westerners. Clinical training in acupuncture education is centered around students and aims to facilitate a smooth transition to acupuncture practice upon graduation.

Author information:

Professor Wang Tianjun graduated from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine with a bachelor’s and a doctorate degree. He was once a full-time senior lecturer and director of the acupuncture clinic at the University of East London in the UK and the director and senior lecturer of the TCM acupuncture program at the British College of Natural Medicine. Currently, he holds the position of President at the London School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. He is also a visiting professor at Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the director of Dr. Wang’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Clinic and Encephalopathy Center in the UK, the honorary president of the British Federation of Chinese Medicine Association, the chairman of the British Traditional Chinese Medicine Forum, and the deputy director of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Head Acupuncture Professional Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the President of the British Scalp Acupuncture Research Society. In collaboration with the world-renowned scientific and medical publisher Springer, he published the English monograph “Acupuncture for Brain, Treatment for Neurological and Psychologic Diseases (Acupuncture for Brain Diseases)” in 2021.

References:

1.Sandra Hill (1988). “Interview with Dr. Van Buren”.

https://orientalmed.ac.uk/interview-with-dr-van-buren/ (Accessed on February 24, 2024)

2.Diploma in Acupuncture Course at London College of Traditional Acupuncture.

https://chineseacupuncture.org.uk/courses/diploma-certificate-courses/diploma-chinese-acupuncture/ (Accessed on February 24, 2024)

3.Three-Year Diploma in Acupuncture Course at Manchester Acupuncture College.

https://matcm.co.uk/diploma-in-acupuncture-3-years-with-foundation-year/ (Accessed on February 24, 2024)

4.upuncture Course at Shulan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the UK.

https://www.shulan-college.co.uk/about-3-1 (Accessed on February 24, 2024)

5.upuncture Course at Total Therapy Training Center.

https://www.totaltherapytraining.org/product/tcm-acupuncture-diploma/ (Accessed on February 24, 2024)

6.y Accreditation Documents from the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB). Retrieved from https://baab.org.uk/downloads/key-accreditation-documents.html (Accessed on February 24, 2024)

英國高等針灸教育的現況及展望

王天俊

摘要：簡要回顧了英國高等針灸教育的發展歷程，分析了英國部分大學曾經開設的針灸本科學士課程的概況以及後來全部關閉的主要原因。重點分析了英國高等針灸教育的現狀，包括課程設置以三年製本科水平為主，也有部分是兩年制和一年制的短期課程；大部分的針灸學院的主要創辦人和主要教學人員都是西人，學生以西人為主；英國高等針灸教育目前所用的主要教材都是西人編寫的；針灸教學診所都是以學生為中心，滿足針灸學生的需求為主。這樣的現狀短時間內不會有太大的改變。也有在英的華人中醫教師開始創辦針灸高等教育學院和主導編寫針灸教材的趨勢。

關鍵詞: 英國針灸教育，針灸學制，針灸教材，針灸實習，回顧與展望

英國的針灸教育起步於上個世紀70年代，開始只是民間私塾式的小型的非系統非正規的進行，也沒有認證和監管，陸續發展到90年代初的20多所私。從90年代初開始，部分的公立大學也開始了中醫針灸的高等教育，提供針灸的學士學位，很遺憾的是後來陸續關閉了。英國的高等針灸教育現狀如何，有什麼可能發展的趨勢，本文將進行初步的探索和分析。

九十年代開始的針灸學歷教育

在90年代以前，英國的針灸教育僅限於民間辦學。先後有大大小小的針灸學院、學校20多所，其中有些已經有了20多年的歷史。從90年代起，由於輔助醫學在英國逐步流行，英國的一些公立大學開始將目光轉向中醫針灸等輔助醫學，正規大學也開始創辦針灸專業，建立健全自己的學術體系，也是以此吸引學生。英國的大學教育是以市場調節為機制，大學開辦的專業由大學自行定，政府根據大學招收的學生數發放津費，大學不負責畢業生就業。有些大學先後開設了以針灸為主的學位教育，大部分是本科，少數也有研究生教育。最多的時候有10餘所大學開設了針灸本科教育課程。

當時英國大學所開辦的針灸專業主要有兩種途徑，一是與當時已經存在的私立針灸學校或中國的中醫學院合辦，如1995年威斯敏斯特大學（University of Westminster）吸收了當時的“倫敦針灸中醫學院”（London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine）加入該大學直接開辦了中醫針灸專業，由此開創了在英國正規大學辦針灸專業的先河；另外一個合辦是米德西斯大學（Middlesex大學）1997年與北京中醫藥大學合辦中醫針灸專業本科教育，參照國內五年制中醫教育體系，後來改為更切合本地實際情況的三年製本科教育。另一個模式就是從零開始創辦針灸專業，例如東倫敦大學（University of East London）在2007年對外招募針灸講師，提供相關的教學場地和設施，完全自己創辦針灸本科學士學歷教育等。

英國在國立正規大學開設中醫針灸學歷教育，在西方國家是比較少見的，極大的提高了中醫尤其是針灸在西方社會的影響力。這些針灸專業大多設立在於與健康或公共衛生相關的系所裡，而不是醫學教育的範圍。這些開設在大學內的中醫針灸專業都接受了英國針灸認證委員會(BAAB)的課程認證, 其畢業的學生可以直接加入英國針灸理事會 (BAcC)，英國部分大學曾經開設針灸專業的概況清單如下（附表1）。

2010年後，由於金融危機的影響造成政府對大學高等教育補貼的大幅減少，也由於國家層面的針灸立法沒有通過，一直存在的針灸是否科學的爭論，以及社會需求的減少等原因，英國的大學陸續關閉了中醫針灸專業，直至全部關閉。現在，已經沒有任何大學直接提供中醫針灸的高等學歷教育。

附表1：英國部分大學原有針灸（中醫）專業概況

英國高等針灸教育學制基本現狀

英國沒有國家層面的針灸立法，因此，針灸在英國的法律地位是不受監管的，針灸師的頭銜是不受保護的。也就是說，任何人都可以自稱是針灸師，而不必要地經過任何正規的教育訓練和評估。這對於針灸業服務的品質和安全性是一個很大隱患，也影響了針灸在英國的信譽和發展。為了保護針灸的專業和公眾的利益，以及執業針灸師的利益，一些針灸行業協會和相關的組織陸續的製定了一些針灸的標準和規範，以及一些針灸教育和培訓課程的規範，但也是基於自願的原則。

目前，英國高等針灸教育學制上大體上可分為三大類：三年製本科水平，二年制專科，以及一年制及以下的短期培訓。

三年製本科或類似層次的針灸教育

目前，英國的所有針灸高等教育都是私立的，以三年製本科或類似層次的針灸教育為主，但不能發學士畢業證書。其中的部分三年制私立學院掛在公立大學下面，通過認證，也能夠發放大學學士文憑。

英國有幾個私立的針灸學院已經有數十年的歷史，其創辦人和主要的講師大部分是西人，其中最早的是國際東方醫學院（ICOM），由著名的西人針灸師dr van buren創立於1972年，一直運行到現在^［1］。也有一些創立很早的私立針灸學院後來關閉了。一些華人中醫老師前期在西人的大學或學院從事針灸教育工作，最近幾年他們也開始建立了以華人講師為主的三年制類似於本科水平的中醫學院，比如倫敦中醫針灸學院^［2］和曼城中醫學院^［3］。

這些華人新近創辦的中醫學院的規模和影響力不如老牌的西人中醫針灸學院，需要一個逐步發展的過程。

這些中醫針灸學院的課程，類似簡化版的針灸專業課程，一般不提供西醫課程，或只提供最基礎的解剖和生理病理課程。但針灸相關的課程都比較詳細具體，也都比較重視臨床教育和實習。不同的學院在課程等方面也各自特色。

根據現有提供三年制針灸教育課程的基本情況，查閱相關學院的網站等資料，將英國三年制針灸課程的簡要概況清單如下（表2）。

表2：英国三年制针灸课程简表

二年制的專科教育

除了三年制的大學級針灸高等教育之外，也有一些英國的中醫針灸學院選擇了比較短的兩年制學制，滿足了部分學員希望快速完成學業的需求。〖JP〗

其中有些兩年制的中醫學院已經創辦了數十年，培養了大批的中醫針灸從業人員，例如位於曼城的英國蘭中醫學院^［4］。

一年制及其他短期培訓

英國也有一些一年制的短期針灸訓練課程，或是模組化的教學模式，單一技術單獨教學，完成後發放單一技術證書，例如全面治療訓練中心TTT^［5］。

還有一些學院開設了一年制甚至更短的特別針灸課程班。例如倫敦中醫針灸學院，在常規的三年制針灸文憑課程之外，還針對醫生護士等醫療專業技術人士開設了一年制的醫務針灸班。針對已經在不同國家地區學習過短期的中醫課程，或者已經在中醫行業從業三年以上，但還沒有完整系統地學習過中醫課程的從業人員，希望系統學習或者提供某個方面的專業技能，開設了一年制的中醫針灸師承班課程，以滿足這部分人員的需求^［3］。

英國高等針灸教育的主要教材

英國的高等教育包括針灸的高等教育幾乎都沒有國家指定的或者叫統編的教材，大多在相關專業認證委員會大綱或者指南的框架內，根據自己的課程設計自己選擇教材，而且很多還是主教老師（ module leader）自己指定的教材，一般都不是一本兩本，而是幾本甚至10多本。

目前常用的針灸教材幾乎都是當地人主編的，很少國內主編的，常用的教材包括：

《中醫基礎》The Foundations of Chinese medicine 作者Maciocia Giovani

《中醫針灸治療學》The Practice of Chinese medicine 作者：Maciocia Giovani

《針灸手冊》A manual of acupuncture 作者： Deadman Peter,等

《黃帝內經-素問》Huang Di nei jing su wen 作者：Unschuld Paul 等

分析原因，中國的針灸教材編寫體例幾十年沒有大的變化，近些年出版的英文版教材不能適應西方人的學習習慣與要求，或者主要面向於具備醫學背景的學生，含有大量的醫學術語。有的是因為英文翻譯不夠標準，有的是印刷品質不過關。常有學生反映, 讀國內出版的英文教材, 看著是英文，但是不理解其意思。因此要在世界針灸市場中繼續領先並佔據主導地位，就必須在教材上多下功夫。今年來，一些國內來的中醫針灸老師也開始參與針灸教材的編寫，例如南京中醫藥大學的兩位客座教授王天俊和王維祥，分別是英國倫敦中醫針灸學院和荷蘭針灸學院的院長。他們聯合其他十多位來自國內現在海外從事中醫針灸醫療和教學的老師們，組織編寫了第一部英文版的《針灸技法大全（Acupuncture Techniques-A Practical Manuel）》, 即將由世界著名的科技與醫學出版社施普林格-自然（Springer Nature）出版。該書將可能填補海外針灸教育缺乏針灸法教科書的空白。

英國高等針灸教育臨床實習特點

英國針灸高等教育三年制的課程對學生臨床實習的要求是300到400小時，而且要求合理分佈^［6］。因此跟國內普遍五年制課程從三年級開始實習不同，英國針灸專業的學生一般都是第一年的下半年就開始進入臨床實習，主要是觀摩診斷辯證和熟悉定位、操作等。

英國針灸專業學生的實習大多是在學院自己開辦的針灸診所內進行，也有的是跟別的針灸診所簽訂協議，安排學生實習，沒有也不可能去專門的教學醫院實習。相對而言，在自己診所的實習基本上都是本專業的老師再加上少數專門的臨床老師代教。

這樣的診所實習有以下的幾個特點

1.診所的目的明確，就是給學生實習的，一切以學生為中心，病人也都知道這個是學生實習的診所，都能夠配合學生的觀摩和操作，包括問病史、觀察舌脈、以及各種針灸治療操作等。

2.每個學生的每次實習都有記錄，包括時間、內容、觀摩或操作的項目，等等，都要雙方簽名記錄存檔。

3.診所大多只收很低的費用，每次付費10鎊-20鎊，而社會上針灸治療收費一般是40-80鎊，也就是說是社會上平均收費不到一半，有的實習診所甚至在一定時期免費，或對本校的老師學生不收費等，這樣就保證了病人的數量和品質。

4.一般是每個小時或一個半小時只看一個病人，每次最多只有4到8個學生實習，有比較多的時間講解、操作、提問。

5.病歷記錄詳細，學生需有自己的實習記錄和體會。 （考試的內容之一就是臨床實習體會，相當於小型的病歷討論）

6.有詳細的安全指南，從房間的安全衛生佈置、冷熱水洗手、消防急救設施、各種廢棄物的處理尤其是醫療廢棄物和用過的針具等、髮式服裝、指甲皮膚、各種針刺方法的操作，等等，嚴格按照安全操作的規範進行。

7.在每個學期開始之前，對每個即將進入針灸診所實習的學生都要有一個安全教育訓練。

英國高等針灸教育的初步展望

在可預見的未來，英國的高等針灸教育還是會以私立學院教育為主，學制安排以三年制為主，教學及管理以西人主導為主，教材以西人編寫的為主。近年來，華人創辦的針灸高等教育和華人編寫的英文針灸教材有逐步上升的趨勢。

隨著海外對自然療法的需求增加，針灸從業人員的素質提高，高品質針灸科研的持續發表，英國也有重新啟動針灸立法的可能性。如果能夠針灸立法，將為針灸高等教育重新進入公立大學的學歷教育提供條件。

小結

英國高等針灸教育經歷了私立教育，公立大學學歷教育，又回歸私立教育的過程。目前主要以三年製本科程度的教育為主，也有部分兩年制以及一年制的短期教育課程。針灸教育的管理者和主要講師以西人為主，也有華人講師開始創辦以華人為主的針灸教育。與其他海外國家和地區類似，英國沒有全國統一的針灸教育教材，常用的推薦教材和參考書以西人編寫的為主。針灸教育的臨床實習是以學生為中心，適合讓學生盡快過渡到畢業後的針灸從業。

作者簡介：

王天俊，教授 大學和博士畢業於南京中醫藥大學，曾經受聘為英國東倫敦大學中醫針灸專業全職高級講師、針灸診所主任，以及英國自然醫學院中醫針灸專業主任和高級講師。現為英國倫敦中醫針灸學院院長，南京中醫藥大學客座教授，英國王博士中醫針灸診所暨腦病中心主任，英國中醫聯盟學會名譽會長，英國中醫論壇主席，世中聯頭針專業委員會支付主任委員，英國頭針研究會會長。與世界著名科技及醫學出版社Springer合作於2021年出版了英文專著《Acupuncture for Brain, Treatment for Neurological and Psychologic diseases（針灸腦病學）》

參考文獻

1. Sandra Hill (1988). “採訪範布倫博士”. https://orientalmed.ac.uk/ interview-with-dr-van-buren/ （查看於2024年2月24日)

2. 倫敦中醫針灸學院針灸文憑課程. https://chineseacupuncture.org.uk/ courses/diploma-certificate-courses/diploma-Chinese-acupuncture/ (查看於2024年2月24日)

3. 曼城中醫學院三年制針灸文憑課程. https://matcm.co.uk/ diploma-in-acupuncture-3-years-with-foundation-year/ (查看於2024年2月24日)

4. 英國蘭中醫學院針灸課程. https://www.shulan-college.co.uk/about-3-1(查看於2024年2月24日)

5. 全體療法訓練中心針灸課程https://www.totaltherapytraining.org/ product/tcm-acupuncture-diploma/ (查看於2024年2月24日)

6. 英國針灸認證委員會 （BAAB）重點認證文件。源自https://baab.org.uk/ downloads/key-accreditation-documents.html （查看於2024年2月24日）