MSHS visit to Hokkaido University
The University of Melbourne's Melbourne School of Health Sciences (MSHS) recently visited Hokkaido University in Japan with the goal of identifying and extending on opportunities for collaboration in education, research and interdisciplinary student mobility projects.
The trip was a great success, opening exciting possibilities across several key areas. One major focus was on developing the future health workforce through staff and student exchanges. Several Hokkaido University staff have been given honorary appointments at MSHS, paving the way for closer research and teaching ties. Discussions also took place around expanding an existing grant led by MSHS's Associate Professor Kwang Cham to include more aged care research in both countries. Student mobility was another priority.
Interdisciplinary clinical placements in Hokkaido for MSHS students will occur in July 2025 with funding opportunities to support ongoing placements being explored. On the research front, there was strong interest in developing joint PhD opportunities to facilitate collaboration between MSHS and Hokkaido's researchers. Specific project ideas discussed included an industry-based grant proposal looking at healthcare innovation, and workshops examining healthcare staff preparedness for managing occupational violence.
The trip included site visits to Hokkaido University's health sciences facilities and a local hospital, allowing MSHS staff to view collaborative models of care in practice in Japan. There were many engaging discussions around shared research interests. Overall, the visit successfully strengthened ties between the two institutions and identified multiple promising paths for future partnership. MSHS is excited to move forward on these education, research and workforce development opportunities with its new collaborators at Hokkaido University. We are also looking forward to welcoming staff from Hokkaido University here in Melbourne in early 2025.
