HASEYAMA
AKIRA

President, Keio University

A New Collaborative Future of Medicine

The JSR-Keio University Medical and Chemistry Innovation Center (JKiC), a joint research building between JSR Corporation and Keio University, has newly opened as a base for coordinating industry, academia and medical care at the University. I feel overjoyed that a new platform for generating innovation has been established in this milestone year, the 100th anniversary of the opening of Keio University School of Medicine.

Since its origins as a small private school established by Yukichi Fukuzawa in 1858 (Ansei 5), Keio University has continued to grow while preserving the traditions of a private school that operates through the cooperation of private-sector volunteers. In order to continue developing amid the complex changes taking place in society, it is important to conform to international standards while simultaneously remaining unique.

The School of Medicine, which has been open for 100 years, carries on the ideal of “unity between basic medical research and clinical medicine” that was advocated by the School’s first dean, Dr. Shibasaburo Kitasato. It strives to train medical personnel who practice integrated basic medical research and clinical medical care, combine knowledge, technology and deep humanity, and are trusted by their patients.

This founding ideal will not change from here on either, but in order to continue to grow into the future the School is being required to further enhance education, research and medical care that are tailored to the times. To that end, there is a need for the School to pursue coordination and assimilation that goes beyond sectors and organizations, even while remaining unique.

In recent years at Keio University research that is distinctive for spanning various sectors has been integrated into the three clusters of “Longevity,” “Security” and “Creativity,” thus creating a framework for introducing capital and human resources. In the Longevity cluster in particular, the University is capitalizing on its strengths as a comprehensive university that possesses a medical school and hospital to pursue research aimed at achieving health and longevity. Above all, as a front runner in the field of oldest old research, including the Center for Supercentenarian Medical Research, the School of Medicine has been unifying basic and clinical medicine to tackle the theme of health and longevity. Furthermore, centering on the new hospital wing that will be completed in spring 2018, it will aim to provide medical care services that are capable of comprehensively responding to patients with multiple ailments, who are increasing rapidly in super-aged societies.

The JKiC prepares an environment in which researchers from JSR, which positions the life sciences field as a strategic business and is pursuing the development of advanced materials and products, and Keio University’s researchers cooperate closely to engage in research. It is my hope that the JKiC contributes to the world as a base for coordinating industry, academia and medical care, and where the medical perspectives and material development expertise that is possessed by both parties’ researchers is combined to generate innovation.