Regional
How Japanese and Malaysian medical students connected and learned at ISBT Kuala Lumpur 2026
Chika Ohara
The Jikei University School of Medicine, Japan
Christina Lee Lai Ling
University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia
Kana Kaburagi
The Jikei University School of Medicine, Japan
Lois Low Xin Ning
University of Malaya, Malaysia
Rie Yamazaki
Keio University Hospital, Japan
Tomohiko Sato
The Jikei University Hospital, Japan
Yutaro Tsukamoto
Keio University School of Medicine, Japan
For medical students, attending an international congress remains relatively uncommon. When such opportunities arise, students are often limited to presenting their own research or attending sessions specifically designed for students. At ISBT Kuala Lumpur (KL) 2026, however, three Japanese medical students had an opportunity not only to present their work, but also to interact with a Malaysian medical student, observe professional discussion and begin to appreciate why blood donation, particularly voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, remains central to a safe and sustainable blood supply.1, 2
For the transfusion community, this kind of participation may offer value beyond student education alone. It provides an opportunity to hear how younger participants perceive blood donation, communication and public engagement, while also helping to prepare the next generation of professionals. The three Japanese medical students—two from Jikei University and one from Keio University, both in Tokyo—interacted with a medical student from the University of Malaya in Malaysia. Although each student came with a different project, educational background, and local perspective, the congress gradually became a shared educational experience spanning universities, countries and healthcare settings. This interaction extended learning beyond the students’ individual projects and helped them appreciate both the diversity and commonality of blood donation-related challenges across different settings.
Creating the conditions for exchange
An important part of this experience was that the student exchange did not happen entirely by chance. Because student participation in ISBT KL 2026 had already been planned, mentors on both sides created opportunities for connection before and during the congress. Tomohiko Sato and Prof. Rie Yamazaki in Japan, together with Christina Lee Lai Ling in Malaysia, hoped that the meeting would become more than a series of individual student presentations and provide a space for peer-level exchange between Japanese and Malaysian medical students.
This preparation also enabled the students to participate in activities beyond their own presentations. Sato, who attended the congress as a member of the Global Blood Safety Working Party (GBS-WP), guided the students to the GBS-WP business meeting, a joint meeting with the Donors and Donation Working Party, and related discussions. For the students, these were opportunities to observe how professionals discuss practical and strategic issues in blood safety, donor engagement and sustainability. The experience suggested that when student interaction is facilitated in advance, participation in an international congress can become a richer, more natural and more meaningful experience, extending beyond the presentation itself.
Beyond the presentation stage
Presenting at an international congress was an important part of the experience (Figure 1). The Japanese students shared work on young donor behaviour, student-led blood donation education and peer-facilitated discussion.3, 4 Preparing these presentations required them to explain their local context to an international audience and respond to questions from participants with different professional and cultural backgrounds.
Yet the value of participation extended beyond the poster or podium. Questions after sessions, informal discussion in the poster area and spontaneous exchanges with fellow students helped shift the students from passive attendees to active participants. By comparing perspectives and discussing their experiences, they began to recognize that similar challenges can be approached differently in different settings.
Figure 1. Medical student presentations at ISBT Kuala Lumpur 2026 (a) Yutaro Tsukamoto (b) Kana Kaburagi (c) Chika Ohara (d) Lois Low Xin Ning
Learning across universities and countries
The interaction between Japanese and Malaysian students added another important dimension. Despite differences in their educational and healthcare environments, they found common ground in discussing young people’s awareness of blood donation, ways to encourage participation, and how medical students might contribute to public understanding.
At the same time, these differences were instructive. Direct conversations with peers from another setting made differences in social context, healthcare systems, and communication practices more concrete. The students were encouraged to consider which aspects of their own experience were specific to Japan or Malaysia and which ideas might be more broadly applicable.
This kind of exchange differed from formal teaching. Rather than simply receiving information from senior professionals, the students learned by observing how peers were thinking, learning, and engaging with similar issue.5, 6 The congress became not only a venue for academic presentation, but also a space for mutual learning across universities and countries.
Why the broader context mattered
Because the students were also exposed to broader congress activities, including the GBS-WP business meeting, the joint meeting with the Donors and Donation Working Party, subsequent reflection, and related professional discussion, they were better able to understand why their own topics mattered beyond their individual projects (Figure 2).
For students who had previously approached blood donation mainly through education or promotion activities, this broader perspective was particularly valuable. Their projects could be understood not as isolated student activities, but as contributions to a wider professional conversation about the future of blood services.
Figure 2. Medical student participation beyond formal presentations at ISBT Kuala Lumpur 2026 (a) Group photograph after the student presentations (b) Participation in the Global Blood Safety Working Party business meeting (c) Reflection after the meeting with Nelson H. Tsuno, Secretary of the GBS-WP (d) Informal evening exchange after the day’s congress sessions
Why meeting in person mattered
Physical presence at the congress further strengthened this experience. Face-to-face interaction allowed students to ask questions, continue conversations after formal sessions, and develop connections than would have been difficult to establish online alone. Informal exchanges before or after presentations often prompted deeper reflection than the formal sessions themselves.
For some students, this was also the first opportunity to discuss their work in English in a truly international setting. Communicating across linguistic and cultural boundaries was challenging, but those challenges became part of the learning process. The experience helped build confidence and encouraged the students to see themselves not only as learners, but also as future contributors to the wider transfusion community.
Engaging this younger generation may also benefit blood services more broadly. Medical students can provide valuable perspectives on the motivations, expectations, and communication preferences of young people, potentially informing more effective approaches to engaging future blood donors.
Looking ahead
ISBT KL 2026 demonstrated that medical students from different countries can meet not only as audience members, but also as future collaborators. With appropriate mentorship and modest preparation before the meeting, an international congress can provide a valuable setting for students to build relationships, exchange perspectives, and understand the broader significance of their work.
For the transfusion community, meaningful student participation may likewise offer an opportunity to better understand the perspectives of younger generations while fostering future professional engagement. Presentation remains important, but what happens beyond the podium may be just as meaningful.
Key References
1. WHO. Global Status Report on Blood Safety and Availability 2021. 2022. 2. Ngoma AM, Goto A, Yamazaki S, Machida M, Kanno T, Nollet KE, et al. Barriers and motivators to blood donation among university students in Japan: development of a measurement tool. Vox Sang. 2013;105:219–24. 3. Sato T, Ohara C, Kaburagi K, Hippy N. Bridging Borders Through Blood: The AMSEP JIKEI 2025 blood donation education initiatives. Transfusion Today. 2025. 4. Abstracts of the 39th International Congress of the ISBT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-24 June 2026. Vox Sang. 2026;121:8–642. 5. Yu TC, Wilson NC, Singh PP, Lemanu DP, Hawken SJ, Hill AG. Medical students-as-teachers: a systematic review of peer-assisted teaching during medical school. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2011;2:157–72. 6. Brierley C, Ellis L, Reid ER. Peer-assisted learning in medical education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Med Educ. 2022;56:365–73.
