The Chan Sisters Foundation is committing $200,000 to launch a new research program in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
Pictured outside KPU Richmond is Kim Ye; Sharmen Lee, Dean, Faculty of Health at KPU; Randall Heidt, KPU Foundation CEO; Drew Dennis, Advancement Officer at KPU; T.W. Wong, Director, Chan Sisters Foundation; Carson Wu, Director, Chan Sisters Foundation; David Chan, Director, Chan Sisters Foundation. Not pictured: Candice Tsang, Director, Chan Sisters Foundation.
The B.C.-based charity is also donating an additional $52,500 to create a new endowed award for students enrolled in KPU's Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program.
"KPU offers the first Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) degree program in Canada which we view as a meaningful step toward integrating holistic healing practices into mainstream health care. We aim to strengthen KPU's ability to form partnerships with local and international institutions through research. We also hope that graduates of this program will carry forward a spirit of community care and proactively serving senior populations and those in need with compassionate, culturally rooted health and mental care. We invite other donors to join us to make the TCM program thriving and sustainable," says David Chan, a director with the Chan Sisters Foundation.
With this new gift, the Chan Sisters Foundation is furthering its commitment to KPU, having previously donated funds to establish endowments that offer two other annual student awards.
"The Chan Sisters Foundation's generous support will have a long-lasting impact on the university and its students," says Randall Heidt, CEO of the KPU Foundation and Vice-President of External Affairs for KPU. "This latest gift paves the way forward for research in Traditional Chinese Medicine at KPU, while also supporting the Chan Sisters Foundation's goals of addressing senior care, health and education."
The donation will provide seed funding for two research projects in the newly expanded TCM department at KPU -- one probing mental health, another focusing on senior care wellness.
"Research deepens the understanding of holistic therapies and the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Advancing scientific research also enhances student learning and ultimately furthers the quality of care that TCM practitioners are able to provide," says Dr. John Yang, department chair.
For students, a new endowment from the foundation will provide an annual $2,500 award to students enrolled in the new bachelor's degree program who have a desire to serve seniors in care and have a passion to make a difference in their community through health care. This is above and beyond two existing endowed awards created in 2022 by a $52,500 gift from the foundation. The Chan Sisters Foundation TCM Endowed Award and the Chan Sisters Foundation Senior Care Endowed Award each provide $1,250 in support to students each year.
This fall marked the start of the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program at KPU, a new Faculty of Health program that builds on the long-running Diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicine - Acupuncture program.
"We are grateful for the Chan Sisters Foundation's commitment to KPU by funding research and student financial awards," says Sharmen Lee, Dean of the Faculty of Health. "The Faculty of Health is excited to build the research capacity of the TCM department, creating inspiring opportunities for faculty and students and contributing to the scholarly work that promotes health and wellness."
The TCM diploma and degree programs at KPU combine ancient Chinese philosophy with Western biomedical science, allowing students to develop the necessary skills to work in the fields of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
