Consul-General Attends the International Symposium of Medical Engineering Research 2026 (ISoMER 2026)
2026/9/21
On September 21st, Mr. Shinya Machida, Consul-General of Japan in Penang, attended the opening ceremony of the International Symposium of Medical Engineering Research 2026 (ISoMER 2026), organised by Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), and listened to the keynote presentations. At the symposium, Vice-Chancellor Dato' Prof. Ts. Dr. Zaliman Bin Sauli of UniMAP spoke about the importance of collaboration among universities, industry, medical institutions and other stakeholders in the field of medical engineering, while Mr. Wong Hon Wai, Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy, stressed the importance of applying emerging technologies such as AI and robotics in a human-centred manner to address social challenges.
In his keynote presentation, Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai of the University of Tsukuba, who also serves as CEO of CYBERDYNE, introduced a wide range of initiatives, including the wearable cyborg HAL, cybernic treatment, support for older persons, Cyvis, Acoustic X, integration with regenerative medicine and Physical AI. Professor Kwan Hoong Ng, Emeritus Professor at the University of Malaya, also discussed the use of AI in healthcare, stressing the importance of complementarity between humans and AI, as well as human wisdom, ethics, and responsibility.
Mr. Machida exchanged views with Professor Sankai, UniMAP representatives, and participants from universities and research institutions in the region, including Thailand. Professor Sankai explained the social implementation of HAL through cooperation with Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), initiatives at the rehabilitation facility in Ipoh, Perak, and his intention to further develop cooperation with UniMAP and pursue continued research and social implementation involving the university alongside other partners. Looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia and the 50th anniversary of the decision to establish the Consulate-General of Japan in Penang in 2027, the Consulate-General will continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders to further promote exchanges and cooperation between Japan and northern Malaysia in new fields, including medical engineering. The Consulate-General also looks forward to seeing Japanese technologies contribute further to addressing social challenges in Malaysia and the wider region and will continue to support efforts toward this goal.
In his keynote presentation, Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai of the University of Tsukuba, who also serves as CEO of CYBERDYNE, introduced a wide range of initiatives, including the wearable cyborg HAL, cybernic treatment, support for older persons, Cyvis, Acoustic X, integration with regenerative medicine and Physical AI. Professor Kwan Hoong Ng, Emeritus Professor at the University of Malaya, also discussed the use of AI in healthcare, stressing the importance of complementarity between humans and AI, as well as human wisdom, ethics, and responsibility.
Mr. Machida exchanged views with Professor Sankai, UniMAP representatives, and participants from universities and research institutions in the region, including Thailand. Professor Sankai explained the social implementation of HAL through cooperation with Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), initiatives at the rehabilitation facility in Ipoh, Perak, and his intention to further develop cooperation with UniMAP and pursue continued research and social implementation involving the university alongside other partners. Looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia and the 50th anniversary of the decision to establish the Consulate-General of Japan in Penang in 2027, the Consulate-General will continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders to further promote exchanges and cooperation between Japan and northern Malaysia in new fields, including medical engineering. The Consulate-General also looks forward to seeing Japanese technologies contribute further to addressing social challenges in Malaysia and the wider region and will continue to support efforts toward this goal.
