The Ministry of National Defense’s National Defense Medical College has been upgraded to the National Defense Medical University on August 1st. President Tsai Ing-wen pointed out today (August 19th) that the National Defense Medical University possesses expertise in military medical training and battlefield casualty care. With continuous improvement, it will provide great assistance to the combat capabilities of the armed forces and even enhance the overall societal defense resilience.
According to the official website of the National Defense Medical University, the National Defense Medical College was founded in 1902 and is the oldest military academy in the history of the Republic of China. The predecessor of the college was the Military Medical School. On June 1st, 1947, it merged with 13 units including the wartime health personnel training institute to form the National Defense Medical College in Jiangwan, Shanghai, functioning as a medical center. In 1949, it relocated to Taiwan and was restructured as the “National Defense Medical University” on August 1, 2025.
President Tsai Ing-wen presided over the “National Defense Medical University Inauguration Ceremony” this morning and emphasized that the conversion of the National Defense Medical College to the National Defense Medical University signifies the culmination of decades of effort, recognition, and strong support for the development of the national defense medical field by the government.
President Tsai expressed his honor to witness this historic moment and conveyed congratulations on behalf of the nation for the prosperous operation of the National Defense Medical University. He believes that in the future, the university will undertake greater missions, continue to serve the country, contribute to society, and benefit the people under the leadership of Principal Lin Zhiyuan and successors who have laid a solid foundation.
President Tsai lauded the contributions of all physicians from the former National Defense Medical College, recognizing the commendable primary healthcare services provided by the Tri-Service General Hospital to the people in the Jinshan, Wanli, and Keelung areas when encountering severe illnesses.
Moreover, he emphasized that the National Defense Medical University is the only higher education institution in the country that combines military tasks with medical education, serving as a nurturing ground for heroes with dual responsibilities. As a president and commander-in-chief from the medical field, he pledged unequivocal support for the development of the National Defense Medical University and looked forward to building upon the profound foundation laid by previous deans to elevate contributions.
President Tsai encouraged the continuous advancement of the National Defense Medical University in cultivating medical students with international perspectives, humanistic qualities, and a culture of altruism and loyalty, to serve at grassroots levels. He highlighted that Tri-Service General Hospital and all military hospitals are not solely established to serve the military but also provide healthcare services for the public, urging sustained improvement and expansion in the future.
President Tsai mentioned that the National Defense Medical University is the only school in the country equipped with a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, a rare and valuable asset. Global infectious diseases emerge approximately every 1 to 20 years, varying in scale and impact, as evidenced by outbreaks like SARS in 2002 or Covid-19 in 2019, posing threats to Taiwan and other nations. He hoped that the university would leverage this resource to enhance Taiwan’s public health research and infectious disease prevention capabilities, contributing to the nation’s well-being.
Furthermore, the President reiterated that the distinction between the National Defense Medical University and general medical universities lies in its specialized expertise in military medical training and battlefield casualty care. With continuous improvement, it will provide significant assistance to the combat capabilities of the military and enhance the overall societal defense resilience. Taiwan should persistently enhance military medical training, seek international collaboration to learn from the experiences of the United States and other countries in battlefield casualty care. Additionally, utilizing AI artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality as learning tools.
Finally, President Tsai once again encouraged the National Defense Medical University to continue advancing in medical services, infectious disease prevention and control, as well as related training in military medical and battlefield casualty care, spreading these practices nationwide for significant benefits to the country.
Subsequently, President Tsai, along with distinguished guests, participated in the unveiling ceremony of the “National Defense Medical University” and inspected the facilities of the Trauma and Disaster Emergency Rescue Training Center and Medical Technology Education Center. They were briefed on the service overview of international volunteer missions from Nepal, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mongolia, India, Malaysia, to understand the training tasks of trauma care and the application of medical technology courses.