[Event Report] Global Health Education Program (G-HEP) 2024 Fieldwork in Japan (November 25 – November 29, 2024)
date : 1/22/2025
Tags: Global Health, Global Health Human Resources Development
The Global Health Education Program (G-HEP) 2024 concluded in Japan, where all 12 participants coming from the United States, Thailand, and Japan, along with supervisors from Mahidol University, came together for a 5-day program, visiting Hiroshima and Tokyo, Japan, from November 25 to November 29.
Under the theme, “Fostering multilateral collaboration among young leaders to address planetary health challenges,” participants spent the past six months attending online lectures, working in groups on case studies, and conducting fieldwork in Thailand, all leading up to the final program with activities in Japan.
The first three days were spent in Hiroshima, with the support of the Center for the Planetary Health & Innovation Science (PHIS), The IDEC Institute at Hiroshima University. Dr. Saori Kashima and Dr. Sonoko Watanabe, both associate professors in PHIS at The IDEC Institute, organized and led fieldwork visits. Following the fieldwork in Hiroshima, the participants moved to Tokyo for group work, to deliver their final presentations, and participate in an international career symposium.
Day 1 | |
Day 1 started off with Dr. Kashima and Dr. Watanabe’s lecture on the fieldwork plan, centered on four key concepts: 1) peace, 2) circular economy, 3) rural health, and 4) nature positive. Following the lecture participants visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, a museum dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a symbol representing the cost of war and the importance of peace. Participants later went to Miyajima Island, an ancestral place of worship and nature. |
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Day 2 | |
Dr. Katsunobu Shirakawa, Curator of the Nature Museum of Geihoku Highlands and Deputy Director of Noboribetsu City Tourism Exchange Center gave a lecture introducing participants to the “Geihoku Sedoyama Revitalization Project”. The project is a participatory forest resource management initiative for sustainable biological resources production, the revitalization of the town, and the generating of a circular economy in the Geihoku area. Dr. Shirakawa led the group to several sites and facilities, such as the Yawata Marsh Nature Regeneration project site and the Geihoku Oak Garden Hotel, to see how the project has been implemented by the local people and businesses. Participants also visited a local health center, Kitahiroshima-cho Ogahara Clinic. They listened to a lecture from the clinic’s director, Dr. Tamaki Toujyou, on rural health and aging in the Geihoku region and the benefits of a “Community-based Integrated Care System”. |
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Day 3 | |
Day 3 involved visiting the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, a US-Japan cooperative research institute established in 1975 to investigate the health effects of atomic bomb radiation. Jeffrey Hart, the Foundation’s public relations office chief, provided a lecture on the foundation’s history and some of its research to date, as well as a tour of the facility. Participants also reflected on how the four key concepts presented on Day 1 were integrated into the context of planetary health and what the next action steps are to address these challenges. Through the three-day program in Hiroshima, the participants learned about biodiversity issues related to climate change, their direct and indirect relationship to the health of the people in rapidly aging regions, and peacebuilding. |
Day 4 | |
On day 4, participants worked together in their groups to summarize the results of the case studies and policy recommendations and prepared for the presentation of the final results. |
Day 5 | |||||||
Day 5 concluded the program in Tokyo with a hybrid event of the Final Presentations & International Career Symposium. Participants delivered their overall case study findings and recommended solutions and policies before an audience of stakeholders from academia, policy, and industry in Japan, the U.S., and Thailand. Final presentations were delivered on the following four case study topics: |
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Following the presentations, participants were joined by three guest speakers for the International Career Symposium. The speakers, who are experts in the field of sustainability and global health, shared insights about an international career in creating a healthier and more sustainable planet. |
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The program concluded with a networking reception where participants, guest speakers, lecturers from this program, and past G-HEP alumni connected to deepen their exchanges and foster future collaborations. |
This year’s G-HEP empowered young leaders to address critical planetary health challenges through multilateral collaboration, innovative thinking, and actionable solutions. The global networks and experiences gained through cross-disciplinary and international collaborations in this program will enable participants to continue contributing to solutions for planetary and global health challenges.
■ About Global Health Education Program (G-HEP)
The “Global Health Education Program (G-HEP)” vision is to establish a global community of young leaders that can work together to push global health agendas forward and to conduct human resources training and development for the future. The partnership with the Mahidol University Faculty of Public Health which began in 2018 extended the program’s boundaries through interactions among young generations not only from Japan but from the ASEAN region as well. This year’s program welcomes Emory University Rollins School of Public Health bringing a U.S. perspective to the program along with participants of diverse professions and backgrounds. Participants in G-HEP can work together to deepen mutual understanding and cooperation for solving complex global public health issues.
■ About The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University
The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University is ranked 3rd among all accredited schools and programs of public health in the United States. Located in Atlanta, known as the “Public Health Capital of the World,” the school draws strength from several unique local resources. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides many of the school’s nearly 200 adjunct faculty. The Carter Center is involved in international health intervention programs that provide student practicum opportunities. Students can learn from both in the classroom and as interns in the field. Students join the Rollins community from all 50 states and from more than 40 foreign countries to contribute to the school and apply knowledge to promote health and prevent disease in human populations.
■ About The Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University
The Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University, established in 1948 is the first public health academic institution in Thailand. At present, the Faculty of Public Health produces approximately 1,400 graduates in several majors from the Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral levels. The faculty plays an integral role as an academic leader in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to the development of the country on academic management, training, as well as academic service to Asia-Pacific countries. Since 1976, the faculty has been running the Master of Public Health – International Program, with over 1250 graduates from 42 different countries.
This project is supported by The Japan Foundation.
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