Greetings from Dean, Nursing Department

The Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine (Nursing Course), Kyushu University, began training nurses in the Meiji Era. After a period as a junior college of medical technology, an undergraduate education program was launched, and Kyushu University became a four-year university in 2003. In 2007, the Graduate School of Health Sciences was established. Since its opening, the university has been committed to preparing highly specialized nurses, public health nurses, and midwives to be active in their field. Additionally, educators and researchers are being equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to lead the development of nursing science.

In addition, since 2012, we have been conducting international exchanges with undergraduate students by sending our students to nursing-related universities in Asia, including Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and accepting international students from other universities for a short period. Furthermore, in 2018, we started a research exchange program, mainly for graduate students, with the University of Oulu in Scandinavia. Through these educational and research activities, we are promoting the development of human resources who can explore issues in health care from a global perspective and become active internationally in the future. Under the severe circumstances of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, international exchanges have been difficult because of the inability to travel to and from overseas, but we continue to provide opportunities for learning by participating in online study abroad programs and holding online international symposiums and seminars.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed our daily lives dramatically. In fact, it has damaged the physical and mental health of many people and threatened precious lives. Now is the time for high-quality support from nursing professionals whose mission is to support the health and lives of people in all regions and populations. The School of Medicine and Graduate School of Medical Sciences, (Nursing Course), Kyushu University, aim to nurture the next generation of nurses and future leaders in education and research. We foster their high ethical standards and prepare them to respond to social crises and meet the expectations of the public.

Nubuko Hashiguchi