On September 19, 2024, there was a Presidential Meeting at Tohoku University with Taipei Medical University (TMU).
May 2024 marked the anniversary of the conclusion of the university-level academic exchange agreement which developed based on their department-level agreements between the two academic institutions. The five participating faculties are the Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Dentistry, and the Graduate School of Arts and Letters.
TMU Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Ray-Jade Chen, along with TMU President Mai-Szu Wu and the Deans of the five collaborating departments, met with President Teiji Tominaga. The TMU delegation met with Executive Vice Presidents Prof. Asako Sugimoto, Prof. Toshiya Ueki, Prof. Hideo Harigae, and the respective Deans of the five Schools involved in the collaboration as well.
At this meeting, President Tominaga expressed his gratitude towards the large delegation by TMU, consisting of approximately 50 people, to visit Tohoku University. The purpose of their visit was to participate in the Tohoku Forum for Creativity joint international symposium on Designing Food for the Future, workshops offered by various departments, and a special session called AI in Medicine.
Followed by President Tominaga were speeches given by Chairman Prof. Chen and President Prof. Wu. They highlighted potential TMU-TU collaborations, emphasizing interests in university-industry partnerships, data informatics, and translational medicine. They expressed their hope for strengthening collaborative efforts towards nurturing talent and concluded their speech by extending an invitation to Taipei for the next meeting.
Building on the collaborative efforts between the two universities and using the partnership of five departments through the university-level academic exchange agreement as a model for future collaborations, it is hoped that stronger academic and exchange collaborations can be developed in other departments as well.
Following the Presidential Meeting, a special session called AI in Medicine was held in a hybrid format.
Approximately 50 attendees from Taipei Medical University were present, including Chairman Chen, President Wu, and other delegation members. Additionally, around 50 participants from Tohoku university attended, including President Tominaga, executive vice presidents, and department Deans involved in the university-level academic exchange agreement. This brought the total attendance to approximately 100 people with some participating online.
At this session, Prof. Chen, who is also a consulting surgeon at TMU Hospital, presented a seminar titled ‘Reshaping Future Healthcare with ‘Gen’ Medicine.’
Following this, Assistant Professor Shinya Sonobe from Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Medicine delivered a presentation on ‘Leadership Development for Creating AI in Medicine.’
The session covered topics such as genome-based personalized healthcare, the use of generative AI, the development of AI technologies, and nurturing talent towards these advancements in the medical field. The collaborative direction between the two universities was envisioned after discussions about a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into everyday life. In particular, generative AI could enable doctors to proactively predict and prevent diseases. As healthcare shifts from treatment-focused to comprehensive health management, there are growing expectations for smart healthcare in an increasingly information-driven society.
Contact Information:
Global Engagement Coordination Team, Global Engagement Division
Tel: +81 22 217-6311
Email：kokusai-c*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (please replace * with @)