International Summer Program 2009 -- Cancer Research

International Summer Program 2009 -- Cancer Research

Bringing together students and young scientists from Asia

Why do we encourage international students to attend TMDU? A major reason is that, in our global community, we are expected to play an important role in cultivating professionals who will use their skill to serve their patients with humanity and improve health conditions in various parts of the world. Educating international students is thus a crucial factor in our effort to fulfill our mission as a global health science education and research institution. Do you know how many international students currently study at TMDU? Currently we have approximately 200 international students, and nearly all of our "ryugakusei" are in the graduate school. Given the strength of the education, research, and health care service offered at TMDU, and our determination to lead the world in the health science field, we should strive to accept an even larger number of international students. We understand that silence is not golden in this respect, and accordingly decided to directly appeal to promising students and young researchers who are interested in studying outside their home country.

Under the leadership of Professor Sei Sasaki, Trustee of Planning/International Exchange, preparations for the first International Summer Program (ISP) began in 2008. With the main theme of “Recent Advances in Cancer Research,” the inaugural ISP, consisting of a summer course and an international symposium geared for Asian students and young researchers, was planned through the efforts of the working group chaired by Professor Yasuhito Yuasa. ISP 2009 was then successfully held on September 6-9, 2009 in close cooperation with the International Exchange Center.

Dr. Minetta C. Liu (Georgetown University Hospital, USA), Dr. Charlotte L. Bevan (Imperial College London, UK), and Dr. Michael S. O’Reilly (M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, USA), and many of our leading faculty members in cancer research, offered lectures on fundamental and clinical aspects of the ISP theme. The three invited overseas lecturers also presented aspects of their current work in the international symposium portion of the ISP 2009 program. In addition to these highly inspiring lectures, selected invited young scientists and TMDU international students made poster presentations at the very lively and well-received poster sessions. In addition, a campus tour, a halfday city tour and other social functions facilitated interaction between the participants, the invited speakers and our faculty, and among the participants themselves. We received applications for ISP 2009 from 76 students and young researchers, who applied from 15 Asian countries. From these applications, we selected 35 students and young researchers, representing 11 countries, as invited participants. In addition, 12 students and researchers joined ISP 2009 from Japan and abroad. The feedback from the participants was very positive; however, the four-day, activity-packed program seemed to make some of the participants think it might have been even better to stay a bit longer at TMDU.

Will this summer program help us recruit young brilliant minds from abroad? It is too early to tell. For the moment, just let me add that several students who participated in ISP 2009 have already applied for “Advanced Oral Health Sciences Course 2010", one of our graduate programs.To maintain the momentum that ISP 2009 provided to our international education and outreach efforts, we are now organizing ISP 2010. Our 2nd ISP will have the theme “Infection and Immunity” and will be held in early September, 2010. Detailed information on ISP 2010 will be available from the website of the International Exchange Center in the early part of the year.

ISP 2009 Working Group

Prof. Yasuhito Yuasa (Chair), Prof. Kazunari Akiyoshi, Assoc. Prof. Kevin Cleary, Prof. Johji Inazawa, Prof. Hiroyuki Kagechika, Prof. Hajime Karasuyama, Prof. Akinori Kimura, Prof. Masanobu Kitagawa, Assoc. Prof. Takatoshi Koyama, Prof. Yoshio Miki, Prof. Masahiko Miura, Prof. Ikuko Morio, Assoc. Prof. Yoko Okita, Prof. Ken Omura, Prof. Philip Tromovitch, Assoc. Prof. Tomoko Yamazaki, and Assoc. Prof. Masamichi Yasuno.

This is the Official Website for the International Exchange Center.

The International Exchange Center runs its own Website.
Please visit the Website to learn more about the International Exchange Center.

Go to International Exchange Center Website
(Link will open in a new window.)