Planetary Health Africa-Japan Strategic and Collaborative Education (PHASE) Exchange Program, Maseno University

Nagasaki University, a university dedicated to the “Planetary Health” vision, started a program called “Planetary Health Africa-Japan Strategic and Collaborative Education (PHASE) Program” in 2021. This program aims to educate professionals who can play an active role in the wider world community and enhance the university’s education capacities for global leadership as a part of the Inter-University Exchange Project funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

Restoring planetary health is a global issue. To address this issue, there is need to share expertise and gradually understand the differences across many environments and cultures. The PHASE program builds an interuniversity network for Japan and Africa to work together to realize planetary health and cultivate professionals who can solve global problems, and who can become a bridge between Japan and Africa.

To train professionals, the program offers exchange programs for students who have grown up in different surroundings in Africa and Japan. These students, who have received specialized education at our respective universities, will work together on activities to address global issues from the perspective of planetary health. For example, with the online exchange program, students will explore the theme of multicultural coexistence and acquire the communication skills necessary to create a bridge of understanding between Japan and Kenya.