Global Gateways【September,2025】Kyushu University Medical Technology Students visit Karolinska Institutet
From September 14-24, 2024, one master's student and one undergraduate student from the Medical Technology course visited Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
The Medical Technology course at Kyushu University promotes education, looking ahead to the future of clinical laboratory science 10 to 20 years from now. In this field, it becomes even more important to train medical technologists who work globally, just as we saw that COVID-19 spread on a global scale and required international collaboration.
However, the educational systems for medical technologists differ from country to country. In the United States, for instance, while education for medical technologists is not conducted at the undergraduate level, specialized institutions are in charge of education for each clinical test item. Therefore, it is difficult for universities that train medical technologists to find an international counterpart for student exchange.
Under such circumstances, Swedish universities could be our counterparts, and the Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Science, with the Stockholm Liaison Office, started the study abroad program with the cooperation of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden last year.
Through this year’s program, two students engaged in lectures, practical training, and lab tours, gaining valuable exposure to Sweden’s distinct healthcare system, educational content, and the underlying philosophies that support them. Thanks to the cooperation of an alumna, the students also had the opportunity to meet Japanese medical professionals working at Karolinska University Hospital, allowing them to learn firsthand about cultural and workplace differences.
Their stay in Sweden brought broader perspectives and let them think about their future careers. The Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Science contributes to providing students with international experience and works to foster future leaders in the global society.
Report from the Previous Program
「Kyushu University Medical Technology students visit Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University」
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/ja/topics/view/2152/
•Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine
https://www.shs.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp/EN/index.html
The Medical Technology course at Kyushu University promotes education, looking ahead to the future of clinical laboratory science 10 to 20 years from now. In this field, it becomes even more important to train medical technologists who work globally, just as we saw that COVID-19 spread on a global scale and required international collaboration.
However, the educational systems for medical technologists differ from country to country. In the United States, for instance, while education for medical technologists is not conducted at the undergraduate level, specialized institutions are in charge of education for each clinical test item. Therefore, it is difficult for universities that train medical technologists to find an international counterpart for student exchange.
Under such circumstances, Swedish universities could be our counterparts, and the Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Science, with the Stockholm Liaison Office, started the study abroad program with the cooperation of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden last year.
Through this year’s program, two students engaged in lectures, practical training, and lab tours, gaining valuable exposure to Sweden’s distinct healthcare system, educational content, and the underlying philosophies that support them. Thanks to the cooperation of an alumna, the students also had the opportunity to meet Japanese medical professionals working at Karolinska University Hospital, allowing them to learn firsthand about cultural and workplace differences.
Their stay in Sweden brought broader perspectives and let them think about their future careers. The Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Science contributes to providing students with international experience and works to foster future leaders in the global society.
Report from the Previous Program
「Kyushu University Medical Technology students visit Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University」
https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/ja/topics/view/2152/
•Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine
https://www.shs.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp/EN/index.html