Recently, the Asian Robotic Urology Section (ARUS), one of the subspecialty committees under the Urological Association of Asia (UAA), held its leadership election and a chair handover ceremony during the UAA Annual Meeting. China’s Academician Xu Zhang has been officially elected as Chair of ARUS, and Professor Gang Zhu has been appointed Secretary-General. Academician Xu Zhang
Academician Xu Zhang has long been a leading figure in urology, with outstanding achievements in minimally invasive urologic surgery. His election is both a recognition of his expertise by the international academic community and a testament to China’s growing influence in the field of urology across Asia. Under his leadership, the Asian urology community is expected to deepen international collaboration, drive innovation in robotic surgery technology, and accelerate the clinical adoption of these techniques, helping raise the standard of urologic care in China and across the region.Xu Zhang currently serves as Director of the Department of Urology at the Chinese PLA General Hospital. He is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a member of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Chair-Elect of the Chinese Urological Association (CUA). He also serves as an expert for the Central Health Care Commission, Chief Scientist of the National High-Tech R&D Program and major military medical projects, a recipient of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the Distinguished Young Scholar Fund, and is widely recognized as a pioneer of laparoscopic and robotic urologic surgery in China. He is Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Journal of Urology, Bladder, and Journal of Minimally Invasive Urology.
Professor Gang Zhu
Professor Gang Zhu has over three decades of clinical experience in urology and is highly regarded for his expertise in minimally invasive surgery. Trained in both China and abroad, he has specialized in urologic oncology, prostate diseases, and minimally invasive and endoscopic procedures, including robotic surgery, standard laparoscopy, and single-port laparoscopy.He currently serves as Deputy Medical Director for Beijing United Family Healthcare, as well as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Urology. He holds a medical doctorate from King’s College London and has been recognized as a “Famous Doctor of China” and recipient of the Special Contribution Award in Urologic Oncology. Professor Zhu plays an important role in guideline development, serving as Chair of the CACA Genitourinary Oncology Holistic Rehabilitation Committee, Vice Chair of the CACA Genitourinary Oncology Committee, Scientific Committee Chair of ARUS, and a member of multiple national and international guideline panels including CUA, CSCO, EAU-ICUD, and NCCN Asian consensus groups. He is Chief Editor of the Robotic Urologic Surgery volume, has published more than one hundred articles, including twenty-two SCI papers, and has authored or co-authored twenty-two monographs, eight of which are in English.
ARUS and UAA
The Asian Robotic Urology Section (ARUS) unites leading robotic surgeons from across Asia to provide a platform for academic exchange and promote the adoption of robotic technology in urologic surgery. ARUS operates as a subspecialty section under the Urological Association of Asia (UAA).
The UAA’s mission is to advance the development of urology throughout Asia and improve the clinical management of urologic diseases. Asia accounts for 60% of the world’s population, and the UAA now includes 30 member associations representing more than 25,000 urologists across the region. In addition to its annual congress, the UAA organizes workshops and symposia throughout the year in collaboration with the Asian School of Urology (ASU) and its specialty committees, including ARUS.
UAA works closely with major international urological organizations such as the American Urological Association (AUA), European Association of Urology (EAU), British Journal of Urology International (BJUI), International Consultation on Urological Diseases (ICUD), Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU), and the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ), ensuring that Asia’s urology community remains well connected to global developments in the field.
