(1) Tropical and emerging infectious diseases research

    (21st COE Program: Global Control Strategy of

    Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases)

    Nagasaki University has the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the country' s first independent post-graduate course specializing in emerging infectious disease (Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences), which make up the world' s leading research and educational base for tropical and emerging infectious diseases.

    Its interdisciplinary study system, consisting of clinical medicine, basic medicine, biology, and human ecology researchers, is achieving many successful research results in controlling emerging and reemerging diseases, such as the dengue fever, West Nile fever, prion disease, malaria, AIDS, diarrhea, and drug resistant bacterial infection, which are threatening the safety of mankind.

    The Institute of Tropical Medicine serves as the collaborative institute and the only institute in Japan organized exclusively for tropical medicine research. It is the international base (Center of Excellence) of research on infectious disease and conducts JICA, WHO, and

    JSPS projects. It also plays a role as a training institute of world-renowned tropical medicine experts.

(2) Effects of atomic bomb radiation on human body and

    international medical care for radiation injury

    (21st COE Program: International Consortium for Medical Care of

    Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science)

    With the findings of an epidemiologic investigation and a molecular biological analysis on hundreds of thousand of victims living in A-bombed Nagasaki and in the contaminated areas of the former Soviet Union due to the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk as its basic foundation, the Nagasaki University Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, has been playing the role of an international hub for studies on the effects of low dose radiation exposure on the human body and carcinogenic mechanism and formed an international consortium to promote various projects together with the 16 major radiation research institutes and universities in the United States and Europe and the former Soviet Union. This was chosen as MEXT' s COE program from academic years 2002 to 2006.

    It also handles ODA-funded JICA programs and MEXT-sponsored epidemiologic surveys in Semiplatinsk, and attaches centers including REMPAN (Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network of WHO)-designated center and the Japanese Center of Albert Schweitzer World Academy of Medicine. Nagasaki University aims at realizing its basic philosophy of contributing to the achievement of world peace by dealing with various radioactive exposure problems in the 21st century caused by the use of nuclear energy.

(3) Research on preservation of ocean environment and

    cultivating of marine biological resources

    With mankind moving into the 21st century, the role of the ocean is becoming more and more important as a source of food and in solving various environmental problems including land environment. The need for comprehensive education and research on marine environment and resources can only be most timely now.

    While the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Ariake Sea, and Omura Bay surrounding Nagasaki, all of which characterized by their abundant and diversified biological resources, are important as fishing ground and habitat of marine organisms, they are also susceptible to human activities on land.

    Nagasaki University, in collaboration with Korea and China, intends to function as the center of research on preserving and recovering marine conditions and ecosystems, and on cultivating marine biological resources. Moreover, it intends to train researchers, enabling them to contribute to the development of this field.