Liverpool hosts the first European exhibition dedicated to University of Liverpool alumnus Dr Fuqin Yan, whose work helped shape modern Chinese medicine, medical education and public health in China.
By Jian Ping Sun
Dr Yan: A Pioneer – A Bridge of Sino-British Medical & Cultural Exchange took place at the Liverpool Medical Institution from 22 to 26 September 2026. Jointly presented by Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Jiefang Daily and the University of Liverpool, the exhibition brought the legacy of a pioneering Chinese doctor back to the city where he studied more than a century ago.
International study played a pivotal role in Dr Fuqing Yan’s illustrious career. After becoming the first Asian to earn a medical doctorate from Yale University in 1909, he travelled to Liverpool to pursue further studies at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. During his time there, he encountered pioneering work in tropical medicine, disease prevention and public health. These experiences had a profound impact on his subsequent career.
After returning to China, Dr Yan became the founding dean of two landmark medical schools that later developed into the Xiangya School of Medicine at Central South University and Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University. He also contributed to the establishment of the Chinese Medical Association and other major medical institutions, while promoting preventive medicine and public health.
His career illustrates how knowledge gained through overseas education could cross national boundaries and contribute to the development of new medical institutions and practices. His time in Liverpool also represented an early link in the long history of medical and academic exchange between China and Britain.
The exhibition featured nearly 50 exhibits, including archival documents, handwritten manuscripts, historical photographs, newspapers, periodicals and books. The highlights included Dr Yan’s University of Liverpool registration record and his 1909 doctorate from Yale School of Medicine. Video contributions from scholars including Professor Zhang Wenhong and Professor Wen Yumei explored his achievements and legacy.
Opening the exhibition, University of Liverpool Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Jones described Dr Yan as one of the University’s most distinguished alumni and a founding figure in modern medical education in China.
“His life demonstrates how education can bridge cultures, advance knowledge and improve lives,” Professor Jones said, noting the lasting relevance of Dr Yan’s legacy to academic excellence, global engagement and service to society.
Professor Xu Jun, Deputy Dean of Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, said Dr Yan’s studies in Liverpool helped shape his later contributions to medical education and public health in China. He highlighted “serving the people” as an enduring element of Dr Yan’s legacy and described the exhibition as both a tribute to a medical pioneer and an opportunity to deepen China-UK collaboration in medical education and public health.
Liverpool Deputy Mayor Nick Small highlighted the city’s longstanding links with China, including its 27-year friendship-city relationship with Shanghai. He described Dr Yan’s story as an example of cross-cultural learning and exchange.
Professor Sally Sheard, Dean of the Institute of Population Health and Andrew Geddes and John Rankin Professor of Modern History, discussed Dr Yan’s Liverpool experience within the city’s wider history of public health and tropical medicine, noting the influence of his studies on his later commitment to disease prevention and medical innovation.
Tang Rui, Consul General of China in Manchester, said Dr Yan’s studies in Liverpool had helped build an important bridge for medical and academic exchange between China and Britain.
“Medicine knows no borders, and improving human health and well-being is a shared mission,” he said.
The exhibition also offered a reminder of the personal dimension of international education. Zhou Jing, a medical researcher who received her PhD from the University of Liverpool, said discovering Dr Yan’s 1909 studies in the city had deepened her appreciation of his legacy and strengthened her own determination to contribute to medical research and public health.
Liverpool is the second stop on the global tour of Dr Yan: a forerunner, following its debut in South Africa and marking its first presentation in Europe.
More than a century after Dr Yan studied in Liverpool, his story has returned to the city — offering a historical perspective on how education, knowledge and professional exchange can continue to connect institutions and people across borders.
