Our History
MSI Professional Services International is a Christian non-profit charitable organization founded in 1994 to provide development assistance to China. The change of name in 2001 reflected our increasing scope of work from medical services to include community development, English education, business administration and management training, youth work, and livestock projects. In 2017, MSI successfully re-registered our Sichuan and Yunnan representative offices and continued our work in both provinces.
In this new decade, our long-term workers serving in China have been presented with opportunities, together with local volunteers, to serve the marginalized: those with special needs, disabled, mentally challenged, elderly etc. From sending only short-term teams in our early years, we now have long-term workers and their families stationed in Inland China, either in front-line service or in pre-service language studies.
With God’s help, MSI continues to seek to share the love of Christ through the witness of our lives as Christian professionals.
Our Founders
Dr. James Hudson Taylor III (1929 – 2009)
Dr. James H. Taylor III was born in China, where he spent the first 16 years of his life. His 10 years of service as founding president of MSI gave him many opportunities to work with officials from the central government as well as with provincial and grassroots leaders. The depth of their acceptance of and respect for him was reflected in the nickname they had given him (‘Overseas Chinese’) and in conferring to him an honorary citizenship.
Dr. Reginald C. Tsang, MBBS
Dr. Reginald Tsang is the former David G. and Priscilla R. Gamble Professor of Neonatology and Professor of Pediatrics of the University of Cincinnati, the Executive Director of the Prenatal Research Institute, the Director of Neonatology and Associate Chairman of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Medical Center/University of Cincinnati. Dr. Tsang is the past president of the American College of Nutrition. He has lectured in more than 142 cities in 46 countries on nutrition, diabetes, and calcium and vitamin D metabolism.
Mr. Richard Chen (1927 – 2015)
Mr. Richard Chen was born into a Christian family in China. After studies at Yenching University and research at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, he worked in manufacturing and commercial pursuits both in Hong Kong and overseas. In the early 1970s he played an important role in the re-establishment of trade between China and the United States. In recent years, he has worked closely with Chinese officials and the Yenching University Alumni Association in introducing teachers, doctors and other professionals for service in China.
Our Leadership Team
Dr. Cedric Cheung, President and concurrently Chief Representative of Sichuan Province
Dr. Cedric Cheung graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelors of Arts and went on to study medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (USA). After an internal medicine residency at New York University, Cedric returned to Albert Einstein College of Medicine for his fellowship in infectious disease. In 2009 he joined MSI Professional Services and studied Chinese at Sichuan University after which he served as a consultant in HIV medicine at Zhaojue County Hospital in Liangshan Prefecture in Sichuan province for 7 years. Cedric assumed the role of MSI’s Sichuan Provincial Chief Representative since 2023.
Ms. Ellise Koehorst, Vice President
Ellise Koehorst is a graduate of Hogeschool Holland, where she received training in nursing. She specialized as an oncology nurse and served as a Nurse Trainer in a Hospice Project in Kyrgyzstan in 2008. Ellise received further training in Intercultural Studies (UK) as well as International Public Health (NL), and has lived in China where she studied Chinese language and culture. Ellise has been involved in Intercultural Education and Training in Asia since 2014 and joined MSI in 2023.
Dr. David Leung, Executive Director for International Mobilisation
Dr. David Leung graduated from the Medical College of Ohio, and completed his Family Medicine residency in California. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He and his wife Vivian served in Shanxi from 1996 until 2014, where he was involved in clinical medicine, rural health, urban community health, and Family Medicine training. He served as President of MSI Professional Services during 2015 to April 2020.
Mr. Paulo Leung, Chief Representative of Yunnan Province
Mr. Paulo Leung worked in the University of Hong Kong for close to 21 years as medical technologist. During this period, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University/Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Biological Sciences in 1995 and obtained the Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health. Paulo with his wife Amy joined MSI in 2003 and served in Zhaojue County and Mianyang City in Sichuan Province. Paulo assumes the role of Chief Representative of Yunnan in January 2024.
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