A launch ceremony was held at Nanjing, China, on October 21, 2019 for the Centre for Research and Publication in the Social History of Medicine. The University of Birmingham, Phoenix Publishing and Media Group's subsidiary Phoenix Science Press, and Nanjing University signed an MoU and will work together to integrate publishing resources in related to the social history of medicine from both China and the UK, and meet the demands of Chinese readers for authoritative works and leading academic research in the social history of medicine.

The centre was established to conduct research on the social history of medicine, focusing on culture, society, history and medicinal treatment, supplementing the deficiencies in existing studies. The collaboration will start with the joint supervision of a PhD student, followed by the publishing of high-quality, authoritative research works on the social history of medicine as well as educational books on the social history of medicine. The centre is intended to promote the social history of medicine in China and develop a sense of gratitude and veneration for medical workers among the general public. 

The University of Birmingham is one of the founding members of the Russell Group, an alliance of top British universities; Nanjing University is a member of the famous C9 League in China; Phoenix Science Press is a national class-A publisher with well-established brand influence and market appeal. Based on the strong scientific research force and academic resources of the two universities, as well as the rich resources and experiences of the Phoenix Science Press in publishing academic works and science materials, the centre aims to establish a first-class national publishing base for the social history of medicine.

Chairman of Phoenix Publishing and Media Group Mr. Liang Yong said at the event, "Phoenix is committed to inclusiveness and openness. It will further explore publishing resources with established authors and academic institutions, and contribute to the communication between different civilizations with more choice publications."

Founded in 1978, the Phoenix Science Press is a respected national class-A publisher. Medical publication represents an important part of the company business, as it has worked in this field for over 40 years, focusing on academic works and practical technical books on clinical medicine. With the support of numerous renowned experts and scholars, the company has published a large number of award-winning and popular professional medical books, such as Contemporary Orthodontics, A Complete Collection of Colour Atlases of Chinese Surgery, Guideline for X-ray Diagnosis and China Clinical Dermatology.