On 23 June 2026, the Directorate of International Relations and Alumni Affairs of Semmelweis University welcomed Prof. Dr. Akihiro Matsukawa,Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Okayama University and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine. The aim of the meeting was to review the current experiences of the cooperation between the two institutions and discuss future opportunities for collaboration.
The parties reviewed the experiences of the student mobility programme, as well as opportunities for further cooperation. Under the agreement signed in 2019 and extended in 2024, the two universities support the exchange of five students annually. The programme has become an important part of the relationship between the two institutions in recent years.
As part of the student exchange programme implemented in spring 2026, three students arrived at Semmelweis University from Okayama University, while five students from Semmelweis University participated in the mobility programme.
During their stay at Semmelweis University, the Japanese students gained professional experience at several clinical departments, including the Paediatric Center, the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, the Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, the Department of Orthopaedics, and the Department of Emergency Medicine. Based on their feedback, they particularly appreciated the high professional standard of the clinical practices and the support provided by their supervisors.
In addition to the growing interest in student mobility, the meeting also addressed possible directions for expanding research cooperation. The participants agreed that pharmacology could represent a potential area of collaboration and serve as a basis for future joint professional initiatives. At the same time, they highlighted that establishing researcher mobility and research collaborations is a more complex process than implementing student exchange programmes; therefore, further discussions and exploration of opportunities are needed in this area. The meeting also included discussions on doctoral training and researcher development, as well as differences between the scientific requirements and systems of the two countries.
Okayama University is one of Japan’s significant higher education institutions, with a history spanning more than 140 years. Officially established as a university in 1949, it currently hosts approximately 13000 students – including nearly 900 international students – and employs close to 1700 staff members involved in education, research and university operations. In addition to medicine and health sciences, the institution offers education and conducts research in a wide range of other fields, with its mission centred on developing new academic paradigms that contribute to the sustainable evolution of human society.
Currently, 164 Japanese students are studying at Semmelweis University, which maintains cooperation agreements with ten Japanese higher education institutions.
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