Hello, my name is Takuya Shizume (right). I am a 1st batch, Master of Public Health candidate, Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University.
I entered this Master of Public Health course to study disease prevention after working in the Solomon Islands as a Physiotherapist and a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer for 2 years. After the completion of this master degree, I am going to work in WHO/WPRO as a short-term consultant, and then in JICA as a full-time employee.
The most interesting part of this course is 5-month internship and 3-month research overseas (i.e. long term overseas practicum). In my case, I conducted 2-month internship in Asia Pacific Development center on Disability and 3-month internship in WHO Lao PDR country office. Regarding on my research, I conducted field survey on Schistosomiasis in southern Lao PDR in cooperation with Ministry of Health, Lao PDR.
I practically applied the acquired knowledge on statistics, epidemiology and data management etc to my field work during the internship and research. By doing so, I could have great field experiences and improve my skills in the field.
This study also enabled me to have good relationship with those who work in JICA, UN, Consultant company and NGOs. It also helped me to think about my future career.
In this 2-year course, you can spend precious time with precious friends and professors who have different expertise.
The experiences I went through as a 1st batch student of TMGH were more than what I had expected before I entered the School. Specialized lectures such as Tropical Medicine and Global Health, the practical skills gained through the long-term internship, and research activities which allowed me to pursue what I had wanted to demonstrate were every feature of my TMGH achievements. Every lecture held during the 1st year was essential to my internship and research activities conducted in the 2nd year, therefore, the learning process of TMGH which allowed students to gain knowledge and also practical skills is reasonable and rational.
The most distinguished feature of TMGH is the close guidance of the faculty staff. Many students had difficulties in the Statistics and Epidemiology modules, reading scientific papers, and developing their research, however, with the help of the faculty staff we could overcome those difficulties. Students could have fruitful discussions and receive advice from the professors at any time. TMGH considers every student important, respects their will, and helps them find a path which is suitable for them.
My classmates from all over the world have now become wonderful colleagues who I can rely on for support when I experience difficulties or anxieties. I would like to be a part of Global Health development to make the most of what I learned at TMGH.
I have been working as a project manager as part of an NGO for the Community Development with Indigenous Children in Mindanao project in the Philippines for one year. I have experienced a lot such as going to the project area, which was on a mountain, by motorbike, participating in discussions with stakeholders such as the Department of Education, and having long staff meetings at the office.
This is a comprehensive project containing three aspects, education, health, and livelihood. I am in charge of ‘livelihood’, but sometimes I feel anxious because it is the difficult to figure out how to ensure the sustainability of the project and produce results. In those times, however, I am encouraged by the team work of the Filipino staff and the mothers working hard for the group. They learn from this program and are optimistic, believing that, “We can find a way by continuing to learn”.
Even though I have gained a lot of experience from this project, this was only one step. I hope to keep learning about both health and community development in order to pursue a more effective approach to people-centered health projects.
(International Children’s Action Network (ICAN)(Philippines, Mindanao) )
One year has passed since I graduated from Nagasaki University, Graduate School of International Health Development. Now I work in Zambia on the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health project. One of my goals, which was to work in the field of public health in Africa again after I left the JOCV, has finally come true.
During the course I was inspired by a message from Prof. Aoki, former dean of our course, who claimed that in the area of public health, we must see things from the view of both birds and earthworms, in other words, to see the entirety of the situations and issues from above and as an individual from the ground. This message was reinforced through the various lectures by our professors with their rich backgrounds. I learned that perceptions regarding diseases are based on the local culture and traditions, differing among various societies. Therefore, it is essential to take into account the context and setting when dealing with them.
Apart from the lectures, the internship during the second year of the course gave me more comprehensive and practical ideas on how we needed to construct our project in order to confront the issues with the help of the local people, and what expertise and skills were expected when in the field.
The project that I am currently engaged in in Zambia aims to prevent “the three delays” associated with maternal death by constructing maternity waiting houses and training the community health workers. I always remind myself to maintain the multiple perspectives that I gained in this course and take the opinions of local people into consideration for my project.
(JOICFP-Zambia, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) One stop service project in Zambia.)
Since completing my studies at the graduate school, I have been working as a clinical researcher in a public hospital located in a small city in Eastern Uganda alongside local NGOs and research organizations from the UK. Although I am trying my utmost to put into use the knowledge and experience I acquired from graduate school, and to open myself to new findings, there are many questions and challenges I face in the field every day.
I have come to the realization that simply applying practical knowledge to real life situations in the field is not enough. Aside from our work, professionals with knowledge and skills relating to international public health must also use what we know to maintain safe and healthy lives while living in developing countries. During my graduate school internship program to Nairobi, Kenya, I experienced first-hand the dangers of terrorism, so now I put great effort into keeping my mind calm and stable so that I can assess various international situations accurately.
Whenever I feel lost or anxious about my current situation, messages from my friends who are also working all over the world, and remembering the words from my graduate school professors encourage me and give me the strength to go forward. (214words)
(Researcher in private companies, Saraya Co.,Ltd, Saraya East Africa Co.,Ltd ,Uganda, Public Health Expert in The Overseas Human Resources and Industry Association: HIDA, Uganda)
I took part in the Japan Oversea Cooperation Volunteer program as a nurse in Senegal and felt the importance of international health cooperation. I also believed that being a part of that was a rewarding experience for me.
After coming back from Senegal, I entered this graduate school in order to acquire specialized knowledge and skills so that I can return to the field as an expert. I really enjoyed studying for two years surrounded by professors who have rich experiences and classmates from different backgrounds.
While I learned how to work as part of a team in the short-term field training, I also developed the capacity to work independently through the internship and my research. More than simply learning about international health, I grew as a person and learned about myself as well. Furthermore, I met a lot of people and learned from them while in school. This network will be useful for my future career. After graduating, I would like to work in an international health consulting firm and put what I learned in graduate school into practice.
(International Techno Center Co., Ltd.)
I enrolled in the Graduate School of International Health Development after finishing my volunteer program in Papua New Guinea. Through my volunteer experience as a physiotherapist, I faced the reality that a lot of disabled people are living with physical and psychological barriers in remote areas due to a lack of rehabilitation services. Motivated by my desire to become an expert who can be involved in drafting policies to help people with disabilities, I applied for this school.
In first year, I had many opportunities to learn about global health with great classmates, professors who had a lot of experience, and supportive administrative staff. The second year, long-term internship program has currently started at the WHO Regional Office in the Western Pacific. The rich experiences in this international organization will be the best chance for me to grow and improve. I will do the best that I can for my future.
I entered Nagasaki University’s graduate school as soon as I completed my undergraduate education. Initially, I was worried about my graduate studies because I did not have any experience in the health field, however my experienced professors put those fears to rest. They were very enthusiastic, as were my classmates, and after a year my anxiety faded away.
Aside from health related courses, the school provided us with lectures on a broad range of topics such as politics, economics, anthropology, etc. Moreover, they gave my classmates and I many opportunities to discuss what we learned. I am really appreciative that we could study under those circumstances.
Currently, I am staying in South Africa to do research as part of an internship. It is the first time for me to stay long-term abroad. I am sometimes faced with unexpected situations, however, I want to cooperate with the local people and do our best together.