Tokyo Women’s Medical University and Waseda University have announced the joint acquisition of publicly-owned land for the establishment of an educational research facility which will further develop the links between the two universities which were formalized through an academic exchange agreement in March of 2000.
１． The joint acquisition of publicly-held land and the relationship of Waseda University and Tokyo Women’s Medical University:
Tokyo Women’s Medical University and Waseda University have jointly acquired the 7,017.5 sq. meters of land at 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (the former site of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) for the establishment of a collaborative educational research facility in the field of Biomedicine. The facility will cover 18,000 sq. meters and begin operation from April of 2008.
For 40 years, since 1965, the medically specialized Tokyo Women’s Medical University and the multidisciplinary Waseda University have exchanged knowledge and ideas and have cooperated in interdisciplinary research in both medicine and engineering, particularly in the field of biomedical materials and artificial organs (such as Tokyo Women’s Medical University and Waseda University’s collaborative research into the development of an artificial heart). Since the formal signing of an academic exchange agreement between the two universities in 2000, advances in cutting edge research in science, engineering and medicine have occurred, centered in Tokyo Women's Medical University’s Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering & Science and Waseda University’s graduate school of biomedical engineering. Graduate student-led collaborative research and introductory medical courses taught by Tokyo Women’s Medical University Professors at Waseda’s facilities are just some of the examples of the active educational and student exchange occurring between the two universities. With the new, joint facility in Shinjuku, exchange between the schools will become exponentially easier.
２． Collaborative educational research projects planned for the new facility:
The fusion of medicine with science and engineering is a crucial part of preventing disease and for improving the health and wellbeing of humanity. A great deal of hope is being placed upon developments in new areas of bioscience and medical engineering. The relationship of medicine with science and engineering up until now has been primarily one of science and engineering responding whenever a need arises in medicine. While this is an effective way of doing things, it is clear that it puts limits on highly original research and on the creation of cutting-edge, interdisciplinary medical treatments. At the same time, the creation of nano-systems for preventing, diagnosing and curing diseases, video transmission technology, cutting-edge biomaterials, etc. and the development of sophisticated medical therapies requires a partnership between medicine and science and engineering. The fusion of medicine and engineering into a new discipline, coupled with international competition, will be the driving force for unprecedented, next-generation medical therapies.
This has always been the basis for collaborative educational research between Tokyo Women’s Medical University and Waseda University; however, in order to pursue the possibilities of the future, both universities seek to establish and strengthen their human resources development and combined research in the fields of clinical medicine and science and technology to provide society with the greatest benefit from the fruits of their efforts in the field of biomedicine. In addition, this collaboration will nurture those whose originality and creativity will produce the concepts for new therapies and diagnostic systems.
With these mutual, education research goals in mind, Tokyo Women’s Medical University and Waseda University have acquired land for the creation of a joint research facility to be established in April of 2008. The planned use of this facility is given below.
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《Planned education research projects at the new facility from 2008》
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Tokyo Women’s Medical University will establish a ‘Center for Advanced Biomedical Engineering & Science’ (proposed name) based on their current ‘Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering & Science’, and they will add a “Medical Policy” section to bring the number of fields to 6; and they will increase the number of graduate students. |
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In 2007, Waseda University will expand and reorganize the Department of Science and Engineering to the “Core Science and Engineering Department (same graduate course)”, “Creative Science and Engineering Department (same graduate course)”, “Advanced Science and Engineering (same graduate course)”; and, within these, the Advanced Science and Engineering Department/ Biomedical Department and the Advanced Science and Engineering Research Course/ Biomedical Course and Biomedical Engineering Course will become the center of educational research activities at the new faculty. |
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Waseda University will combine researchers from all related biomedical areas in the school into a biomedical-related laboratory at the new facility. This laboratory will promote cooperation between industry and academia, in order to become a base for the new fusion of medicine with science and engineering.
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Both universities will cooperatively provide graduate education in order to actively engage in human resources development at the university level. And, in the near future, a joint graduate school is planned. |
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Both universities will join with industry in research, development, and human resources development in order to provide society with the most advanced medical therapies.
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