Joint Symposium on Global Health, Kyoto University - University of Vienna
The Joint Symposium on Global Health between Kyoto University and the University of Vienna took place from June 18 to 20, 2024 at the University of Vienna. The symposium brought together university leadership and researchers in the field of global health to discuss and exchange ideas on various topics related to microbiology, mathematical biology and medicine, social psychology, and more.
Kyoto University has been a Strategic Partner University of the University of Vienna since 2019. The Strategic Partnership framework facilitates intensive and diverse cooperation, with both universities allocating special funding to support a wide array of joint initiatives.
Joint Symposium on Global Health, KU - UNIVIE, 18-20 June, 2024
In the opening ceremony session of the Joint Symposium, both Rector Sebastian Schütze (UNIVIE) and President Nagahiro Minato (KU) highlighted the rich history of the long-standing partnership between the University of Vienna and Kyoto University. Emphasizing the significance of their Strategic Partnership, they underscored its role in promoting academic excellence and collaborative research through joint initiatives and special funding.
As an alumnus of Kyoto University, the Ambassador of Japan to Austria, Ryuta Mizuuchi, emphasized in his speech his strong support for the Strategic Partnership between the University of Vienna and Kyoto University.
Prof. Wolfgang Mazal, Scientific Advisor to the Strategic Partnership, gave an insight into the past cooperation and outlined future plans.
Yukiko Uchida, Professor for Cultural and Social Psychology at Kyoto University, gave a keynote lecture on topic of Culture and Well-being: How Does an Interdependent Lifestyle Promote Health and Well-being?
The second keynote lecture was held by Prof. Bernadett Weinzierl (Aerosol Physics and Environmental Physics, UNIVIE) on the role of atmospheric aerosols in climate and public health issues.
During the following PhD Pitch Talk Session, PhD students from each university were given a three-minute slot to present their research.
The PhD Pitch Talk session was moderated by Prof. Nikolaus Forgo, Department of Innovation and Digitalisation in Law (UNIVIE). He ensured a smooth flow of the session featuring nine presenters. Barbara Good, Director of UNIVIE’s International Office and moderator of the opening ceremony session, resumed the role of the timekeeper and made sure that the presentations did not exceed the three minutes limit.
The programme of the plenary opening session was followed by parallel group sessions, site and lab visits. Several sessions revolved around topics of Social Psychology (pictured: Prof. Robert Böhm presenting UNIVIE‘s brand-new Research Network “Health in Society”)
A session on current research on Japan’s society and cultures, organised by Prof. Wolfram Manzenreiter (UNIVIE) and Prof. Yukiko Uchida (KU), explored topics ranging from identity discourses in Japan to workplace well-being.
Both the session on Mathematical Biology and Medicine, organised by Prof. Sungrim Seirin-Lee (KU) and Prof. Sara Merino Aceituno (UNIVIE), …
…and the session on Microbiology and Microbe-host Interactions, organised by Prof. Hiroyuki Ogata and Prof. Hirokazu Toju (KU) / Prof. Wolfram Weckwerth and Prof. Matthias Horn (UNIVIE) discussed ongoing collaborations and plans for follow-up activities, e.g. collaborative research, academic exchange, and symposia.
The general programme of the symposium concluded with a closing session on Wednesday, June 19, where Vice Rector Manuela Baccarini from the University of Vienna …
and Executive Vice President Tetsuo Sawaragi from Kyoto University delivered closing remarks.
In addition to the academic program, participants from Kyoto University also had the opportunity to explore Vienna through various excursions, including a guided tour of the Botanical Garden and the Belvedere Museum.
The symposium also offered a special program for the Kyoto University leadership (President Nagahiro Minato, Executive Vice-President Tetsuo Sawaragi, and Deputy Executive Vice-President Mika Yokoyama), including a visit with Vice Rector Baccarini to the Max Perutz Labs led by Director Fabien Martins and Deputy Head Prof. Sascha Martens, a lab tour through the University of Vienna’s Biology Building and a university leadership session on current issues.
The Joint Symposium on Global Health kicked off with a plenary opening session on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, featuring speeches from Rector Sebastian Schütze (UNIVIE), President Nagahiro Minato (KU), Ambassador of Japan to Austria Ryuta Mizuuchi, and Prof. Wolfgang Mazal (UNIVIE). Two thought-provoking keynote lectures by Prof. Yukiko Uchida (KU) and Prof. Bernadett Weinzierl (UNIVIE) set the tone for the day, followed by PhD pitch talks by students from both universities, showcasing their research in front of a plenary audience.
Throughout the following days, participants engaged in group sessions focusing on microbiology and microbe-host Interactions, mathematical biology and medicine, social psychology and current research on Japan’s society and cultures. The general programme of the symposium concluded with a closing session on Wednesday, June 19, where Vice Rector Manuela Baccarini from the University of Vienna and Executive Vice President Tetsuo Sawaragi from Kyoto University delivered closing remarks.
In addition to the academic program, participants from Kyoto University also had the opportunity to explore Vienna through various excursions, including a guided tour of the Botanical Garden and the Belvedere Museum. The symposium also offered individual lab visits for the Kyoto University scholars to further engage with their peers from the University of Vienna, as well as a university leadership session on current issues.
The Joint Symposium on Global Health 2024 was successful in fostering knowledge exchange and deepening contacts between researchers and university leadership from Kyoto University and the University of Vienna. Both universities look forward to future collaborations on global health issues and beyond.
The partnership between the University of Vienna and Kyoto University has a longstanding history, dating back to their first cooperation agreement in 1993. In 2019, the two universities solidified their relationship by establishing a Strategic Partnership, underscoring their shared commitment to advancing academic excellence and collaborative research. This framework enables the universities to collaborate closely on various projects and initiatives, maximizing their collective impact.