Ten years of partnership with Shinshu University: Milestones and new goals

From June 1 to 5, the TUD School of Medicine and Shinshu University have celebrated ten years of successful partnership. To commemorate this milestone and chart a course for the future, Prof. Henning Morawietz, who initiated the partnership, and Peggy Zolal, International Affairs Advisor, traveled to Nagano, Japan. The trip was funded by grants secured specifically for this purpose from the DAAD, as well as through the ERASMUS+ program.

They also brought the renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was countersigned by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Shinshu University, Prof. Okuyama Ryuhei. This officially seals the partnership for another five years.

Clinical rotation in Japan, research visit in Dresden

Student mobility is at the heart of the collaboration. TUD students spend part of their clinical rotation (PJ) at Shinshu University. In return, third-year Japanese medical students come to Dresden for short clinical or research stays. The recent exchanges have been financed by successful grant funding acquisitions.

A special highlight of this year: As many as seven PJ students will travel to Japan with full financial support from the DAAD-ISAP project and Erasmus+. They will be welcomed by Prof. Yuji Soejima (Chair of the Department of Gastroenterology and Transplant Surgery), Prof. Shunsuke Yuzuriha (Chair of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), and Prof. Jun Takahashi (Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery).

The next visit from Japan is coming up as well: Eight Japanese students are expected to arrive on August 31 for their stay at the Faculty of Medicine. Two of them will be funded through secured Erasmus+ grants.

The collaboration is set to expand further in the future. The student exchange program will grow to include visiting research stays and additional joint publications. The first visiting researcher will join Prof. Kai Markus Schneider’s lab (MK1) in 2027.

Working together towards success

A vibrant program like this one is built on the tremendous dedication of its many participants. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to:

• Prof. Henning Morawietz for initiating and nurturing this partnership,
• Prof. Naoki Tanaka, who oversees the program on behalf of Shinshu University with outstanding dedication, making these valuable stays in Japan possible for our students,
• the dedicated mentors who welcome exchange students in Dresden: Prof. Jan Kuhlmann, Prof. Marius Distler, Prof. Adrian Dragu, Prof. Leonie Kunz-Schughart, Prof. Gerd Kempermann, Prof. Claudia Günther, Prof. Kaomei Guan, Prof. Catherina Becker, Prof. Manja Wobus, Dr. Ortrud Uckermann, Dr. Hayder Amin, and many others,
• Peggy Zolal, International Affairs Advisor, for her continuous and successful efforts in securing third-party funding and grants that make this partnership possible,
• as well as Marlen Zumpe and Maria Schramm from the Teaching Department for their seamless administrative support behind the scenes.