Message from the Dean

I am KITA Kiyoshi, Dean of the School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University – hereafter referred to as TMGH.

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I would like to express my sincere thanks to Professor KOKUDO Norihiro, President of the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), and Professor HASHIZUME Masahiro, Head of the School of International Health at The University of Tokyo, as well as everyone attending both in person and online for these two important ceremonies: the 10th anniversary of the School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health (TMGH) and the conferment of an Honorary Doctorate from Nagasaki University to Sir Peter Piot.

I would also like to thank the British Ambassador to Japan, Mrs Julia Longbottom and the Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Professor Liam Smeeth for kindly sending us their congratulatory messages.

As the history of Nagasaki University and TMGH will be introduced by our President, Professor NAGAYASU Takeshi, along with two memorial lectures from Professors ARIYOSHI Koya and MOJI Kazuhiko, I will briefly speak about the background and current progress of TMGH.

TMGH was newly established in April 2015 by integrating two master courses from different Graduate Schools. One was the Master of Tropical Medicine, from the Graduate School of Medical Science, which gave Japanese medical doctors the opportunity to obtain a master’s degree in tropical medicine in just one year. The other was the Master of Public Health, from the Graduate School of International Health Development.

As the founding Dean of TMGH, I have worked closely with graduate students, faculty and staff to build and grow our school.

We began with only a master’s course, but soon after recognized the need for higher education. Therefore, we subsequently established 2 PhD courses to train global health professionals through our collaboration with the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM at the time, now JIHS) in Tokyo where we have a satellite campus, and with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) – a world-leading institute in global health.

Sir Peter Piot contributed greatly to establish the partnership between LSHTM and TMGH, especially for the Joint PhD program. Based on the success, TMGH was selected through a very competitive process as part of the first cohort for the WISE program.

Furthermore, TMGH has been contributing to “Planetary Health”, a key word of Nagasaki University by establishing a new graduate school: the Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health, which offers a Doctor of Public Health degree.

Nagasaki was Japan’s only “window” to foreign countries during the Edo Period. Today, Nagasaki looks outward to contribute to the world.

Ten years have passed very quickly. Over 250 master’s students and around 40 PhD students have graduated. I want to say thank you all of our students, faculty, staff and those who have been helping us. However, what is important is the next decade. Please give us your warm and full support for TMGH’s next challenge !

Thank you for your attention.

Kiyoshi Kita Dean, School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health