Tohoku University
Graduate School of Dentistry

On July 29 – August 9, 2024, the Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry held the 2024 CA+inD Summer Short-term Exchange Program: Multimodal Global Leaders Development through Asian-Model Dentistry Consortium. This program is part of the CAMPUS Asia Plus Program, which is part of the Inter-University Exchange Project established by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT).

The aim of this program is to nurture multimodal global leaders, that is, individuals who are capable of selecting and applying knowledge and skills acquired from a multitude of perspectives. They shall do so in a manner appropriate to the needs of education, research, health care, industry, and government, while also understanding how these different contexts interact.

A total of 31 students from 11 universities in 5 countries/regions participated in this program: From CA+inD partner universities, students from Yonsei University (5) in Korea and University of Indonesia (3) in Indonesia; From Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry partner universities, students from Hong Kong University (3), Universitas Airlangga (6) in Indonesia, Sun Yat-Sen University (2) and Zhejiang University (2)Zhongshan in China, Kaohsiung Medical University (1), National Taiwan University (2), National Cheng Kung University (4), China Medical University (2), and National Yang-Ming Jiao Tong University (1) participated in the program, making this program more international. Students from the University of Dundee in the UK also partially participated in this program, deepening the student-to-student exchange.

During the two-week program, students attended lectures and dental workshops conducted by our faculty, along with personalized hospital tours and classroom visits. They also engaged in cultural experiences and exchanges, such as a "Wadaiko (Japanese Drums) Workshop" by KAMO TSUNAMURA DAIKO, a one-day bus trip to Minamisanrikucho and Izunuma, and TUIDSO events to deepen their relationships with Tohoku University students and local residents. During the field trip to Minamisanrikucho and Izunuma, we participated in a storytelling bus tour and learned from Mr. Goto, a survivor of the Great East Japan Earthquake, about the tsunami's impact and the reconstruction process. Dr. Nakakuki, a specialist in disaster dentistry, also accompanied us, enhancing our understanding of the role of dentists during disasters. At Izunuma, a Ramsar Convention wetland, the students attended a lecture on environmental conservation efforts by Laboratory Director Shimada and enjoyed observing wild birds, insects, and lotus flowers. Two students participated in the homestay program, experiencing real life in Japan with the support of their host families.

This time, twenty-three student supporters from Tohoku University actively participated in the program, the largest number we have ever had, further enriching the experience. In particular, the supporters volunteered to organize a fireworks viewing event on August 5th, where all students in the program gathered at the Kawauchi Campus to enjoy the view together. In addition, the quality of the final presentations was high, reflecting the positive and sincere attitudes of the students. Overall, this program was an important step in building a network of future dentists.