My name is Shigeru Katamine. I was appointed as the President of Nagasaki University in October 2008.
At the end of the Edo period (1603–1868), a period of national isolation, Nagasaki, Japan’s only window to the outside world, played host to youths of dream and vision from all over Japan. Before long, they would play a central role in the Meiji Restoration. Nagasaki University was established as a medical school called Igaku Denshusho during that period. Later on August 9, 1945, the University suffered catastrophic damage; nearly 900 faculty members and students died due to atomic bombing. Since then, the University has gone through a long period of trials and hardships, reaching this prosperous period at last. The Nagasaki University Global COE Program, “Global Strategic Center for Radiation Health Risk Control,” originating from atomic bomb disease cures and research, exactly embodies the history of the University.
Nagasaki University has strived for advancement and internationalization of education and research based on its philosophy that it should contribute to the establishment of a well-balanced society by treasuring the deep-rooted, traditional culture of Nagasaki, fostering the wealth of students’ sprit, and developing science for world peace. In the first phase of its midterm goals and plans, the University designated distinctive and eminent educational studies conducted at the University as Major Research Projects and has provided intensive support for these studies. As a result, some achievements have already received high commendation at home and abroad.
Among others, the Nagasaki University Global COE Program, “Global Strategic Center for Radiation Health Risk Control,” adopted in FY2007 and its predecessor, the 21st Century COE Program, “International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science,” act as a hub for education and research bases at the University.
In the next phase of the midterm goals and plans, a first basic goal would be the “establishment of a global education and research center for interdisciplinary research on tropical medicine and infectious disease, radiation medical science and food resources and environment fields for contributing to ‘Health and Safety of the Earth and Humans.’” In other words, the University aims to develop a new science called “Medical Care for Hibakusha” by promoting interdisciplinary research by strengthening the organizational structure of the executive board led by the President, and supporting both advanced, specialized education and world-leading research in the international health care field. By achieving this goal, the University highly expects to gain global recognition as a global education and research center contributing to health and safety of the earth and humans, and to interdisciplinarily evolve the “Nagasaki Brand” in the future.
The Nagasaki University Global COE Program is placed as a driving force to promote radiation medical science at universities, and Japan and will surely play an important part of the “Nagasaki Brand” in Japan and overseas. A variety of distinctive projects are steadily progressing in the Program, led by Dr. Shunichi Yamashita and comprising nearly 50 members, including nine members of the management committee, young researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral students, and international students.
Finally, while introducing its activities and achievements during the first two years, the University will make every effort to further advance this Program over the next three years. I sincerely hope that this Center will continue to produce young “lions” who will play an active role in a wide range of fields in the global arena.
Message from the former President => |
