Introduction: Greetings from the Dean | Nagasaki University School of HEALTH SCIENCES

Greetings from the Dean

Students , have you chosen decided the path you should aim for? Or are you still making up your mind? Limiting your future may be painful for those of you who believe in infinite possibilities. But time waits for no one. Sooner or later, you will have to choose your path and work towards it as your dream. Then, when you realize your dreams through your own efforts, you will be recognized by everyone as a fully-fledged adult for the first time. Have you ever heard the terms “declining birthrate and aging population?” Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world and the number of elderly people is on the rise. However, as fewer babies are being born, rapid increase in the proportion of elderly population is seen as a problem. But this is not elderly people’s problem. This is a significant issue for your future. Let’s imagine. By the time you all become fully-fledged adults, play an active role in the society, and nurture the next generation, it is predicted that one elderly person will be supported by 1.2 people in the workforce in Japan. What if an elderly person falls ill and needs care? Then only one out of six people will be able to devote themselves to work. The School of Health Sciences, Nagasaki University has three majors: Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. After graduating and becoming a fully-fledged adult, your job will be to encourage people who have difficulty in their daily life due to illness or other reasons, to get back to normalcy. You will provide guidance to prevent illness and help them live a long independent life. You may occasionally help small children, but the overwhelming majority of your clients will be elderly people. Children are treasured by society but elderly people, with their extensive knowledge and experience, are also important to society. A future where the elderly can live life independently and play an active role in the community is an ideal future for you and the next generation of children. There are endless ways one can help people live a healthy life, not just a longer one. People are essential to advance and develop scientific knowledge, theories, treatment methods and medical devices that are required to achieve that goal. We will continue to work hard to ensure we reach it. However, with combined effort of as many people as possible we will reach the goal sooner. It’s up to all of you to create a better future. From now on, each one of you will find your dream and gather knowledge and experiences to fulfil it. We want to share that dream with you and move forward together; this is our wish and our imagined dream.	Terumitsu SAWAI, Dean

Students , have you chosen decided the path you should aim for? Or are you still making up your mind? Limiting your future may be painful for those of you who believe in infinite possibilities. But time waits for no one. Sooner or later, you will have to choose your path and work towards it as your dream. Then, when you realize your dreams through your own efforts, you will be recognized by everyone as a fully-fledged adult for the first time.

Have you ever heard the terms “declining birthrate and aging population?” Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world and the number of elderly people is on the rise. However, as fewer babies are being born, rapid increase in the proportion of elderly population is seen as a problem. But this is not elderly people’s problem. This is a significant issue for your future. Let’s imagine. By the time you all become fully-fledged adults, play an active role in the society, and nurture the next generation, it is predicted that one elderly person will be supported by 1.2 people in the workforce in Japan. What if an elderly person falls ill and needs care? Then only one out of six people will be able to devote themselves to work.

The School of Health Sciences, Nagasaki University has three majors: Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. After graduating and becoming a fully-fledged adult, your job will be to encourage people who have difficulty in their daily life due to illness or other reasons, to get back to normalcy. You will provide guidance to prevent illness and help them live a long independent life. You may occasionally help small children, but the overwhelming majority of your clients will be elderly people. Children are treasured by society but elderly people, with their extensive knowledge and experience, are also important to society. A future where the elderly can live life independently and play an active role in the community is an ideal future for you and the next generation of children.

There are endless ways one can help people live a healthy life, not just a longer one. People are essential to advance and develop scientific knowledge, theories, treatment methods and medical devices that are required to achieve that goal. We will continue to work hard to ensure we reach it. However, with combined effort of as many people as possible we will reach the goal sooner. It’s up to all of you to create a better future. From now on, each one of you will find your dream and gather knowledge and experiences to fulfil it. We want to share that dream with you and move forward together; this is our wish and our imagined dream.

Terumitsu SAWAI,
Dean