KUCHING: Sarawak is set to build the world’s first biodiversity museum integrating regional cultural diversity, traditional medicine, and modern medical practices.
Director of the Institute of Integrative Medicine at China’s Fudan University Professor Dong Jingcheng said the museum is expected to commence construction by mid-year.
He said the museum will be established at ‘Miri Zero’ in the heart of the city, breathing new life into the historic buildings of the old Resident’s Office and the former Miri City Council.
“This museum will be dedicated to biodiversity, cultural diversity, and the diversity of both traditional and modern medicine. This is our plan for the future.”
“In this museum, we aim to exhibit medical knowledge, encompassing modern, traditional, and cultural perspectives, all interwoven with medical sciences,” he told the media during a press conference at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today.
The museum will be part of Fudan University’s establishment in Sarawak, which is a key component of the Kenyalang Smart City in the heart of Miri.
It will also incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) in medical applications, including an interactive medical consultation experience.
Dong added that a campus and teaching hospital will be developed in the next three years, marking the next step in expanding Fudan University’s presence and advancing medical education and research in Sarawak.
“The first step is to establish an integrative traditional and modern medicine museum in Miri.
“Then, we will discuss further and, if feasible, set up a campus and teaching hospitals as soon as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, chairman of Imasa Dinasti (a subsidiary of TAK Group of Companies) Teo Ah King, who was also present at the press conference, noted that the delegation held a productive discussion with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre.
“There will be a collaborative and exploratory effort to achieve something significant for our economy and the future generation of modern medicine,” he said.
The Kenyalang Smart City is a visionary development master plan by the renowned architecture firm TAK, founded by Miri’s own architect Teo, and is being executed by Imasa Dinasti Sdn Bhd.
This ambitious project is designed to have a lasting impact on communities not only within Miri city but across the wider region, with its influence expected to span generations.
