On 8 December 2023, more than 120 participants attended the Faculty of Engineering (FOE) Industry Forum 2023, entitled “Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare: Recent Developments and Opportunities for Malaysia,” at the Multipurpose Hall (MPH), Cyberjaya campus.
The forum was jointly organised by the Industrial Linkage Committee of FOE, the IEEE Signal Processing Society Malaysia Chapter, and the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM). The forum aimed to showcase global trends in AI’s impact on healthcare, providing an overview of challenges and opportunities unique to Malaysia. The forum was open to the public and was recognised as a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activity by the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) for individuals seeking to gather CPD hours for the annual renewal of their professional engineering membership.
The panelists included Ir. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Faizal Ahmad Fauzi (FOE Professor) and Mr. Jeffrey Mohammad Noor (Senior Principal Assistant Director, Ministry of Health). The event was successfully moderated by Dr. Aziah Ali, (lecturer from the Faculty of Computing and Informatics). During the forum, Professor Faizal highlighted recent AI healthcare developments in Malaysia, emphasising their potential and uniqueness. He discussed AI’s role in addressing challenges across diverse regions and provided guidelines for ethical deployment. The conversation extended to leveraging AI in healthcare’s digital transformation, showcasing use cases for improved outcomes.
Collaborative opportunities between researchers and industry stakeholders were outlined. Mr. Jeffrey Noor outlined AI’s role in Malaysia’s healthcare strategy, showcasing initiatives and addressing challenges. Examples illustrated AI’s impact on resource allocation, patient care, and administrative efficiency. The Ministry’s approach to ensuring equitable healthcare access using AI was explained. Lastly, collaborative efforts with the government, healthcare institutions, and the private sector were discussed.
In conclusion, the FOE Industry Forum 2023 successfully fostered collaboration, offering insights into AI’s role in healthcare for Malaysia. The speakers’ valuable contributions and audience participation highlighted the forum’s success in promoting knowledge exchange and networking within the industry and academic community.
