Greeting

Yasuhiro Suzuki, M.D., Ph.D.

（International University of Health and Welfare President）

The International University of Health and Welfare, “IUHW,” holds up “internationality” as one of its seven educational principles, and has actively deepened engagement with countries mainly in Asia and top medical universities in those countries. These energetic international exchange activities led IUHW to participate in a project by ARO Alliance for ASEAN and East Asia, “ARISE,” as a member of the Strategic Steering Committee. ARISE is a network of international joint clinical studies and trials led by Japan, and has started this project called, “International ARO Alliance Enhancements with Asian and Japanese Academic Institution, and Construction of Cooperation System with Related Organizations Responding to Infectious Disease Emergencies” through Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, “AMED,” since 2020. The members of the committee include Prof. Hiroaki Shimokawa, Vice Dean of IUHW Graduate School, as a Chairman, Prof. Yasuyuki Kato, a professor of infectious diseases, as a Vice Chairman, Prof. Tetsuya Matsumoto, a chief professor of infectious diseases, Prof. Harumi Yano, a professor of infectious diseases, and Prof. Tsutomu Yamazaki, Director of Innovation and Research Support Center.

IUHW invited three doctors from the partner universities, Udayana University in Indonesia, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences in Mongolia, and University of Health Sciences in Lao PDR for a month in November 2022 as part of the project. Those doctors had lectures on basic knowledge, procedures, and history on clinical trials, visited IUHW Narita Campus, IUHW Narita Hospital, and IUHW Hospital to observe actual trials and surgeries, as well as interacted with international students.

The online educational training seminar will be held on February 25, 2023, where seven universities in five countries are planning to attend. The program of the seminar includes presentations by three doctors who had a training at IUHW as well as nine universities who agreed to participate in ARISE project, a report and discussion on feasibility study result, and building a scheme for facilities in Asia through ARISE.

The year 2023 will be a special year for IUHW as the very first graduates will complete their program since the School of Medicine was established in 2017. Each school year, the School of Medicine accepts 20 international students mostly from Asia out of 140 students enrolling. After receiving medical education in Japan and obtaining Japanese medical license, those international students will go home as leaders of their home countries and spread medical technology there, which contributes to the advancement of healthcare in the future. IUHW truly hopes that those students will make a small step toward internationalization of medical education and healthcare.

IUHW has concluded medical cooperation agreements with Asian countries as well as agreements on academic cooperation and exchange with universities in various countries. Taking advantage of our university’s long standing commitment to international exchange activities, we would like to further contribute to infrastructure development of international joint clinical studies and trials in Asian regions.

Hiroaki Shimokawa, MD, PhD

（International University of Health and Welfare Vice Dean, Graduate School）

• Importance and Significance of the Project

  Clinical studies/trials are critical processes to develop and apply to the society of novel drugs and medical devices. Furthermore, it is important for health and welfare to enhance clinical studies/trials. However, in developing countries, although the prevalence of life-style-related diseases has been rapidly increasing due to society aging and westernization of life style, the current status of clinical studies/trials is not enough. Indeed, there are many countries with this problem in Asia, which has more than half of the world’s population. In this AMED project, under the national target of universal health coverage (UHC), we aim to contribute to international health and welfare through development of clinical study/trial network in Asia.

• Achievements made by IUHW

  International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW) was founded in 1995 with the spirit of establishment to contribute to international health and welfare. We have been active under the school mottos of “live together” regardless of the presence or absence of disease or disability, especially with Asian countries and people. Specially, we have concluded an academic exchange agreement with 13 counties, 24 universities, and 7 hospitals in Asia and have accepted 20 foreign medical students among 140 capacity every school year (Figure 1). In addition, in order to cultivate international medical professionals, we hired a number of foreign teachers and give lectures in English to medical students in 1~3 grades, all of which are unique as compared with other Japanese medical schools. Through these activities, we have enhanced the relationships with Asian governments and ministries of health, which is also a strength of IUHW.

• IUHW activities in 2022

  IUHW has been selected as one of the collaborating medical schools for the 2022 AMED Project led by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), together with Osaka University and Nagasaki University (PI: Dr. Tatsuo Iiyama at NCGM). Based on their international research collaboration experiences, NCGM established the ARO Alliance for ASEAN and East Asia（ARISE） in 2021. In this project, NCGM and collaborating institutes will enhance domestic and overseas base through clinical study/trial of drugs and medical devices in Asian countries, especially in the field of infectious diseases. We have established 3 working committees as follows; (1) committee for industry-academia-government-private partnership (Osaka University), (2) committee for international research strategy (Nagasaki University), and (3) committee for international research basis (IUHW). Through these activities, we will enhance the platform of ARISE in case of international emergencies.

• IUHW activities in the ARISE/AMED Project in 2022

  We will perform the following 3 projects in 2022.

  ⑴Expansion of the ARISE network with our affiliating Asian universities

  ⑵Training program for Asian doctors (Indonesia, Laos, and Mongolia)

  ⑶IUHW international seminar (February 25, 2023)

  Regarding⑴, 7 Asian affiliating universities have kindly agreed to participate in the ARISE Program led by IUHW.

  Regarding⑵, we invited 3 Asian doctors to Japan (Indonesia, Laos, and Mongolia) and provided them with trainings for clinical studies/trials for one month in November, 2022.

  Regarding⑶, we will organize the IUHW international seminar on February 25, 2023, with participating Asian universities as a kick-off meeting of the ARISE Program (please see the poster).

IUHW has the long-term experiences of academic exchanges with Asian countries, which will help us promote the ARISE Program. Your kind understanding and collaboration for the ARISE Project by IUHW will be greatly appreciated.

Figure 1. Medical students from Asian countries (Past 6 years)