International Medical Community

International Contribution Made by Universities
and Medical Schools in JapanJMAJ 53(3): 001–002, 2010

Taro YAMAMOTO*1

With them being either international or domestic, there are at least three major social roles
today that universities, not only medical schools
but also any other faculties, have to play: i.e.,
1) to conduct outstanding research, 2) to provide
quality education, and 3) to take social responsibility. It is certain enough that all of these areimportant as components of international contribution made by universities.
First, let us consider research. Conducting
research is a primary role to be played by universities. It is the most important role where people
in universities explore unknown terrain beyond
the intellectual horizon of knowledge, expertise,and recognition that we human beings could
have gained and extend its borders. Throughsuch activities, new technologies or perspectives,
some parts of which can be applied and exerted
to help people living in resource-limited settings
improve their lifestyles, emerge. Without taking
on this challenge actively, the university fails tokeep its raison d’être as an ivory tower, for goodor bad. As far as our department, the Department of International Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, is concerned,
we take research as one of the most importantpillars among others. Research conducted by ourdepartment is composed of following three units:
1) research on epidemiological patterns of infectious diseases located in the current complex ecosystem, with mathematical modeling, 2) researchon the impact of the environment, including
climate change and Asian dust, on health, and
3) research on the biological evolution of infectious agents from an adaptation or fitness viewpoint. The umbrella concept of these research
topics abovementioned is to reconstruct infectious

diseases “temporally” and “spatially” alike. Infection is biological interaction between hosts andmicroorganisms. In other words, host behavior
and social structure as well as culture per seaffect microorganisms in fitness and adaptation
whereas microorganisms have an impact on theirhosts. Based on this perception, our department
aims to gain more detailed understanding andinsight on infectious diseases and to contributeto international health with it.
Second, we will consider education or humanresource development. To provide high-qualityeducation to those who seek it, whether Japaneseor of another nationality, and to thus develop
their capacity with it is the top priority of theuniversity. Our institute in collaboration withother faculties now has two master courses,
Master of Tropical Medicine (MTM) and Masterof Public Health (MPH), in one of which foreign
students account for more than half and all
lectures are provided in English. This environment provides students with a sense of groupdynamics. Students can learn from each others’
ways of thinking, which are sometimes quite different from culture to culture. This is not in justthe case on the master course but on the doctor
course, too, where members also come from
more than 10 different countries. The impact ofthese foreign students is not limited only to theuniversity but also to the society or community
where the university is located. Internal internationalization in the university is important
but at the same time, contribution to the internationalization of communities surrounding theuniversity, for instance from civil servants inthe municipality to shop keepers, land owners
of foreign students’ accommodation, barbers,*1 Department of International Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, The Global Center of Excellence, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan(y-taro@nagasaki-u.ac.jp).

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Yamamoto TThe author and a Dutch doctor at an orphanage in Haiti

Schistosomiasis control in Zimbabwe

etc., seems to be the unconscious role that theuniversity plays. I believe this unconscious roletaken by the university is an asset that the university has in its history.
Last but not least, we touch upon social
responsibility in the university. Now that evenprofit-oriented organizations and companies arerequired to take their corporate social responsibility seriously, academia and universities are ofcourse required to do so. From our department,
the Department of International Health, there
must be nothing but contribution to global healthor people’s health in resource-limited settings.
Our department raises the following three
activities as international contributions: advocacy on international health at the national
and international level through dialogue withgovernment in collaboration with NGOs andcivil society in the process of G8 or TICAD(Tokyo International Conference on AfricanDevelopment), in which global health including
infectious diseases, maternal and child health,and health system strengthening in developing
countries has recently become one of the main
agendas; health promotion and empowermentof people, especially women, through a project
conducted in collaboration with JICA or another
implementation body at the community or grassroots level; and international emergency relief.
Speaking of emergency relief, I myself was dispatched as a member of Japan’s Disaster Relief
Team to Haiti hit by a devastating earthquake
where more than two hundred thousand people

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Japanese and Vietnamese staff cooking during field
activities in Vietnam

were estimated to have died and one million
people lost their homes and access to safe waterand sanitation a couple of months ago. There
were uncountable numbers of patients withsevere injuries who were thus seeking healthcare including surgical operations. The medical
services provided by the Japan Disaster Relief
Team were appreciated by the Haitian people.
What our department thinks of as importantin those activities relevant to taking social
responsibility is to create solidarity in order toimprove people’s health and contribute to people’s sustainable development. It is our department’s goal and at the same time, I believe, it is
the goal of international contribution made byuniversities and medical schools.

JMAJ, May / June 2010 — Vol. 53, No. 3