The Otago Smart Health College welcomes its first students this year. [Photo/Otago Smart Health College]

A new international institute focusing on smart health was officially inaugurated at the Taizhou campus of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine on Oct 26, marking a new chapter in the university's partnership with the University of Otago in New Zealand.

The Otago Smart Health College welcomed its first students this year. It is designed to accommodate up to 1,200 students and offers undergraduate programs in pharmacy and medical information engineering, with graduates eligible for degrees from both universities.

The institute also offers postgraduate education, including master's programs in public administration and intelligent science and technology, as well as a doctoral program in pharmacy.

Grant Robertson, vice-chancellor of University of Otago, said advances in artificial intelligence, data science and biomedical research are opening up new possibilities for understanding health and improving healthcare systems.

The two universities will bring together expertise to expand research collaboration and develop new approaches to education and talent development, he said.