Topic on Discipline Construction of Forensic Medicine HOU Yi-ping
The construction of first-class universities and disciplines is a major strategic initiative of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, and an important task for building a world-class higher education powerhouse. Forensic medicine was officially listed as a first-level discipline under the medical category in 2022, presenting unprecedented historical opportunities for the development of forensic medicine. Facing this significant strategic opportunity, this paper sorts out the disciplinary system of forensic medicine, carries out forward-looking planning for the development of the discipline, and looks forward to the development vision of the discipline: （1） Establish an organically connected three-stage forensic medicine talent training system to cultivate applied and innovative talents that meet the needs of China’s socialist modernization construction; （2） Establish a unified standardized forensic practice qualification examination system, organically connect talent training with professional qualification examination, and optimize the professional development path of forensic medicine; （3） Widely intersect, integrate and transform forensic medicine with other multiple disciplines, expand and enrich the second- and third-level disciplinary systems of forensic medicine, and build a world-class forensic medicine discipline with Chinese characteristics.
The development of forensic medicine is crucial to the national welfare, people’s livelihood, social stability, and the construction of a Safe China. It plays an indispensable role in the comprehensive promotion of the rule of law. The establishment of forensic medicine as a first-level discipline, along with the transformation brought by the fifth research paradigm, makes the construction of forensic medicine stand at a new historical starting point. This paper reviews the current status and challenges of forensic medicine development, outlines the characteristics of the fifth research paradigm and its impact on the construction of forensic medicine, and proposes strategies for addressing these challenges.
The 2024 National Education Work Conference pointed out that at the current juncture of the critical period for achieving the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the implementation of the Education Powerhouse Construction Plan Outline should be taken as the main line of work, and building first-class disciplines is an crucial task for a higher education powerhouse. In 2022, forensic medicine was officially listed as a first-level discipline under the medical category, presenting an unprecedented historical opportunity for the development of forensic medicine. The forensic medicine discipline of Southern Medical University comprehensively improves the quality of talent cultivation and facilitates the construction of first-class disciplines as its main direction. It aims to initiate and implement a high-level faculty team building plan featuring “combining recruitment and cultivation, inter-disciplinary integration”; make vigorous efforts to establish a first-level doctoral program, refine advantageous second-level disciplines and research directions; and establish an innovative research platform from a high starting point with deep integration. The discipline adheres to moral cultivation and the Five Domains of Education simultaneous development, to build a high-quality talent joint training model. Guided by the construction of the national legal system and industry needs, the discipline will enhance social service capabilities. The forensic medicine construction in our university will continue to contribute to the rule of law in China and educational power.
The forensic medicine discipline of Sun Yat-sen University is one of the important origins of modern and contemporary forensic medicine education in China, and it is a microcosm of the development of forensic medicine education, research and identification practice in the People’s Republic of China. This paper introduces the historical evolution, current situation, opportunities and challenges faced by the forensic medicine discipline of Sun Yat-sen University. Based on the historical new starting point of forensic medicine becoming a first-level discipline, it analyzes the construction goals and measures of the forensic medicine discipline of Sun Yat-sen University in the new era, aiming to reach consensus and promote the high-quality development of forensic medicine.
Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline, presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine. Since the 1980s, the establishment of forensic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China. Since the 13th Five-Year Plan, the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront, proposing the development goals of “Five First-class” and the discipline development path “Six Major Achievements”. It has selected benchmark disciplines, identified gaps in disciplinary development, unified thoughts, formulated completion timelines, concentrated superior resources, assigned tasks to individuals, and created an “Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format” forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era. The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals, discipline framework, scientific research, talent cultivation, discipline team and platform construction, forming a relatively complete discipline construction and management system, and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.
West China Forensic Medicine at Sichuan University （hereinafter referred to as West China Forensic Medicine） has a long history and profound cultural heritage. It is one of the universities that initiated modern forensic medicine in China and one of the six founding institutions of forensic medicine higher education in China. Under the lifelong efforts of its founders, Mr. WU Jia-wen and Mrs. WU Mei-yun, West China Forensic Medicine has developed over three generations and more than seven decades, forming a distinct characteristic of “education as the foundation, research as the essence and identification as the practice”. This paper elaborates on the historical evolution and significant development achievements of West China Forensic Medicine in its discipline construction, and in the process of exploring the development achievements of forensic medicine discipline construction. It summarizes experiences and wisdom, providing references and experiences for the future development of the forensic medicine discipline, the continuous improvement of the forensic science level, and the construction of the first-level discipline of forensic medicine in China.
Under the background of forensic medicine becoming a first-level discipline, the opportunities and challenges of discipline development coexist. Starting from the actual situation and characteristics of local medical colleges and universities, this paper discusses the problems and solutions for the development of forensic medicine discipline from the perspective of building a regional high-level medical university. Combined with the experiences of carrying out forensic medicine education in our college, this paper supplies our thoughts and practices on improving the discipline system, enhancing the ability to serve society, perfecting the talent cultivation model and promoting forensic culture, to provide reference and inspiration for the development of forensic medicine in other universities, jointly promote the advancement of forensic medicine in China to a new stage, and contribute the wisdom and strength of forensic medical experts to the construction of a law-based China, a safe China and a healthy China.
Topic on Discipline Construction of Forensic Medicine
