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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Launches New International Course: “Winter Session Fukushima Field Trip”
From Monday, January 6, to Friday, January 24, 2025, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health launched a newly established international course titled the “Winter Session Fukushima Field Trip.”
On the program's opening day, 15 students from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health visited Fukushima Medical University and met with Chairman and President Seiichi Takenoshita. President Takenoshita offered words of encouragement, “As ambassadors of Fukushima, I hope you will share the region’s recovery progress with the world and contribute to applying Fukushima’s experiences to other regions facing health crises.”
Professor Aya Goto, the course director at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a specially appointed professor at Fukushima Medical University, also shared her expectations for the participants: “I hope you will learn to tell Fukushima’s recovery journey in your own words, apply the insights gained to your respective fields, and disseminate information that aligns with the current realities.”
During the Fukushima Field Trip, participants will visit various locations across the prefecture over approximately three weeks. The program focuses on three key themes: “Risk Communication,” “Health Monitoring,” and “Decontamination and Environment.” Participants will deepen their understanding of the responses and ongoing challenges following the nuclear accident, aiming to propose evidence-based solutions for “better recovery” tailored to the needs of local communities.
The participants include graduate students and medical professionals from the United States, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Colombia, Canada, and Pakistan. The program itinerary includes visits to Fukushima Gakuin University, Koriyama Women’s University, the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba Town. Lectures by faculty members and opportunities for interaction with students at our university are also planned.
*The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Founded in 1913 as a joint program between Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools of public health in the United States. With approximately 2,700 students, faculty, and researchers, the school leads the way in education, research, and practice in public health. It has achieved remarkable results across diverse fields, including epidemiology, health policy, environmental health, and nutrition, significantly contributing to addressing global challenges.