On Friday, 9 October, 2026, the Graduate School of Arts and Letters at Tohoku University hosted the Graduate School of Arts and Letters & College of Humanities and Social Sciences Session of the TU×TMU Joint Symposium 2026. Held in the Large Meeting Room of the Graduate School of Arts and Letters at Kawauchi Minami Campus, the event brought together researchers and students from Tohoku University and Taipei Medical University. Conducted entirely in English, the symposium focused on the theme "Acceleration of the Collaborative Studies on Human Well-Being".

■ Event Overview

• Date & Time: Friday, 9 October, 2026, 13:00–16:30
• Venue: Large Meeting Room, Building of the Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University
• Organizer: Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University
• Co-organizer: College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University
• Language: English

■ Program Highlights

1. Opening Remarks & History of Collaboration

The symposium commenced with opening remarks from Prof. Naoko Yata, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Letters at Tohoku University, and Prof. Chung-Hsi Lee, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Taipei Medical University. Following the opening remarks, Prof. Nobuyuki Sakai of Tohoku University presented an overview of the ongoing academic partnership between the two institutions, highlighting key milestones including the initial 2023 symposium and the faculty-level academic exchange agreement signed in May 2024.

2. Session 1: AI in Humanities

• Organizer: Prof. Nobuyuki Sakai (Tohoku University)
• "Taiwan's governance framework for medical AI and policy implications"
  • Speaker：Prof. Chung-Hsi Lee (Taipei Medical University)
  • Prof. Lee discussed the rapid adoption of medical AI—such as Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and generative AI—in healthcare systems, examining associated legal liabilities, ethical challenges, and patient autonomy. He introduced Taiwan's risk governance guidelines for generative AI in medical institutions and outlined future policy directions.
• "Artificial Intelligence and Research Integrity"
  • Speaker: Prof. Saku Hara (Tohoku University)
  • Prof. Hara addressed the dual-edged nature of AI in academic practice, noting its potential to enhance research efficiency alongside ethical risks such as data fabrication, plagiarism, and hallucination. He introduced the Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics (announced in June 2026) to emphasize the critical need for maintaining research integrity.

3. Session 2: Religious Studies in Medical Systems

• Organizer: Prof. Toshiaki Kimura (Tohoku University)
• "Religious Healing and Spiritual Care in Asia: A Medical Humanities Perspective from Taiwan and the Himalayas"
  • Speaker：Prof. Chia-Hui Lu (Taipei Medical University)
  • Prof. Lu presented ethnographic research on religious healing and spiritual care practices in Taiwan and the Himalayan region. She illustrated how community rituals and spiritual care contribute to wellbeing beyond traditional biomedical frameworks, proposing interdisciplinary collaborative avenues in medical humanities.
• "The Role of Religious Professionals in Spiritual Care in Contemporary Japan: The Practice of Rinsho-shukyoshi"
  • Speaker: Prof. Yugaku Ikawa (Tohoku University)
  • Prof. Ikawa examined the work of Rinsho-shukyoshi (interfaith chaplains) in modern Japan. He explained how non-proselytizing spiritual care is provided to individuals in hospitals, welfare institutions, and disaster-affected communities, illustrating the translation of religious traditions into contemporary care practice.

4. General Discussion

The symposium concluded with a dynamic General Discussion (15:45–16:30) connecting the day's two major themes. One of the central topics that sparked profound debate was the question, "Can AI become a religion?" Participants, including faculty members and students, grappled with the fundamental nature of healing—emphasizing that emotional care requires empathy rather than purely rational understanding. The discussion featured deep engagement over how AI might detect subtler, non-verbal emotional nuances and whether technology can truly convey "empathy."

■ Future Outlook

This joint symposium provided a valuable platform for interdisciplinary dialogue at the intersection of technology, humanities, and healthcare. Building upon these fruitful discussions, the Graduate School of Arts and Letters will continue to deepen its research collaboration and exchange activities with Taipei Medical University to further advance studies.