Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine (Nagoya University School of Medicine) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) have continued to promote research and educational exchange, with a particular focus on geriatric medicine and community-based care. In 2025, we held the Japan-U.S. joint symposium "Aging and the Family" at UNC, bringing together experts across multiple fields--including medicine, nursing, public health, and social work--to discuss how best to support older adults in rapidly aging societies.

As the second phase of this ongoing initiative, Nagoya University will host the Aging in the Community International Symposium this year. By sharing Japan's practices in community-based integrated care and insights from clinical and long-term care settings, the symposium aims to foster the "next step" in Japan-U.S. collaboration in research and education on challenges common to both countries.

Purpose

As populations age rapidly around the world, strengthening medical care, long-term care, prevention strategies, and community resources to support older adults has become an urgent priority. In Japan in particular, efforts to advance community-based integrated care, expand the use of digital health, prevent frailty and dementia, and improve serious illness and end-of-life care are evolving on a daily basis, requiring closer integration between healthcare systems and communities.

This symposium will bring together Japan-U.S. experts led by Nagoya University and UNC-Chapel Hill to discuss community-based support for older adults ("Aging in the Community") from perspectives of research, education, and clinical practice. Through dialogue that transcends differences in systems, culture, and context, we aim to generate practical ideas and seeds for future collaboration.

Dates

• Monday, March 23, 2026 (full day): International symposium / lectures

• Wednesday, March 25, 2026 (full day): International symposium at NCGG

• Thursday, March 26, 2026 (morning): International symposium / lectures

Venue

• March 23 (Mon): Toyoda Auditorium (Symposion Conference Room), Higashiyama Campus, Nagoya University

• March 25 (Wed): Education and Innovation Center, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG)

• March 26 (Thu): Kakuyu Hall (2F), Tsurumai Campus, Nagoya University

How to Participate

• Free of charge / advance registration required

• Registration site (Microsoft Forms): https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/TyRzmgiBy5）

Seats are limited and registration may close once capacity is reached.

Organizers

Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine (Department of Geriatric Medicine / Office of International Affairs / International Medical Education)
UNC-Chapel Hill (UNC Global Affairs / UNC Center for Aging and Health)

Co-organizer / Support

Japan Foundation

Program Overview

March 23 (Mon): International Symposium (Toyoda Auditorium, Symposion Conference Room)

• Opening remarks and symposium overview (Nagoya University × UNC-Chapel Hill)

• Lecture session: Japan's healthcare system, community-based integrated care, and social implementation of digital health

• Lecture session: Prevention of dementia and frailty; community-based support models

March 25 (Wed): International Symposium at NCGG (National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu)

• Lecture session: Dementia prevention (multidomain interventions) and long-term care systems

• Lecture session: Genomic research and longitudinal studies on aging (e.g., NILS-LSA)

• Lecture session: Care technologies/robotics and advance care planning (ACP)

March 26 (Thu): International Symposium (Kakuyu Hall, 2F)

• Lecture session: Aging and the Brain / Technology for health promotion / Community mobility

• Lecture session: Frailty prevention (including collaboration with community pharmacies) / Palliative care models / Geriatric nutrition (Geriatric Nutrition)

This symposium is part of a continuing initiative that began at UNC and serves as a joint project to sustain and further develop the partnership between our two institutions.

Contact

Office of International Affairs, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University

E-mail: med-intl@t.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp

TEL: +81-52-744-2507

Courtesy calls on university and medical school leadership, and strengthened education and research collaboration

In January 2026, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine visited the University of Freiburg in Germany (19-20 January) and the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom (22-23 January). During the visits, our delegation paid courtesy calls on senior leadership--including the Rector, executive members, and medical school leadership--and held discussions aimed at further strengthening student exchange (clinical electives) and research collaboration.

Professor Masahisa Katsuno, Dean of the Graduate School of Medicine, led the delegation together with faculty members from Nagoya University. In addition, eleven PhD candidates from the CIBoG programme (Convolution of Informatics and Biomedical Sciences on Global Alliances) participated in the visit, contributing to discussions that included early-career researcher exchange and networking.

Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine promotes sustained engagement with partner universities to advance global medical education and research excellence. This visit was conducted with four main objectives:

(1) ensuring the stable operation of educational exchange,

(2) strengthening research collaboration in priority areas,

(3) expanding mobility and exchange for researchers, including PhD candidates, and

(4) promoting innovation through technology transfer and industry-academia collaboration.

University of Freiburg (19-20 January): Key Discussions and Outcomes

At the University of Freiburg, our delegation was received by Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. Lutz Hein, and Prof. Dr. Christoph Peters, who has played a leading role in advancing the long-standing partnership between our institutions. Courtesy meetings and discussions were held to reaffirm our shared commitment to further developing collaboration.

In addition, we conducted meetings and research discussions across multiple fields, including immunology, epidemiology, cancer research, neurosciences, and infectious diseases. Nagoya University side also presented ongoing research activities, and we exchanged views on concrete possibilities for joint research and future researcher mobility.

We also discussed the continued implementation of our long-standing clinical elective student exchange, as well as the Jointly Awarded Doctoral Program, with a view toward future operation and development.

University of Edinburgh (22-23 January): Key Discussions and Outcomes

At the University of Edinburgh, our delegation held courtesy meetings and discussions at the BioQuarter (Usher Institute) with representatives of the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine (CMVM). Under the kind support of Prof. Mike Shipston, who is responsible for international affairs within CMVM, we exchanged views on educational collaboration--including clinical elective exchanges--as well as future directions for research and innovation collaboration.

The delegation then visited the Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR), where we received research briefings and toured facilities related to regeneration and aging research. Subsequently, at King's Buildings (Joseph Black Building), we met with Prof. Neil Robertson, who leads international engagement within the College of Science & Engineering, and held discussions with Prof. Mathew H. Horrocks and other colleagues on interdisciplinary joint research and opportunities for early-career researcher exchange. For the CIBoG PhD candidates, the visit offered meaningful exposure to active research environments and valuable interactions with researchers, helping broaden their perspectives on international collaboration.

In addition, the delegation visited the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), an interdisciplinary hub for co-creation, to learn about approaches to industry engagement and social implementation, as well as innovation promotion--such as technology transfer, entrepreneurship support, and external partnerships. On the final day, we held further discussions with Prof. Mike Shipston, Prof. Neil Robertson, and colleagues to review outcomes and confirm directions for follow-up.

Looking Ahead

Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine will continue to maintain stable educational exchange while concretizing research collaboration in priority areas. Based on the outcomes of this visit, we will organize key contacts, potential themes, and the framework for the next round of discussions, and proceed with practical follow-up actions such as online meetings, reciprocal visits, joint presentations, and collaborative applications.

Participants

• Head of Delegation: Professor Masahisa Katsuno (Dean, Graduate School of Medicine)

• Faculty Members: Professor Hideki Kasuya, Professor Hiroaki Wake, Professor Ryuichi Nishii, and other faculty members of Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine

• CIBoG: 11 PhD candidates