The International Institute of Global Resilience (IIGR), a non profit organization dedicated to improving emergency management worldwide through research and education, today announced it has partnered with Kumamoto University’s Health and Life Science: Interdisciplinary and Glocal Oriented (HIGO) program.
Ten students from Japan, Nigeria and Bangladesh were selected for the intensive five day course, hosted by IIGR in Washington D.C. Students were presented with lectures from emergency management experts on topics including incident management, bioterrorism, risk communication and medical response to disaster. Visiting various sites in the D.C. area, students also learned about career opportunities and gained practical industry knowledge in areas like the U.S. patent system and U.S. and Japanese healthcare systems.
“Driven to launch IIGR following the 3/11 earthquake in Japan, we recognize a glocal understanding is critical to successful emergency management,” said Dr. Maki Fukami, President of IIGR and one of Japan’s leading emergency management scientists. “Participating in the HIGO program we can foster a new generation’s involvement for a safer and more prepared future. It was an amazing experience to see students’ positive reactions to the program.”
Kumamoto University, which is home to one of the oldest national medical schools in Japan, introduced the HIGO program in October 2012. The program is designed to educate global leaders on societal needs of Asian countries to support local challenges through local and global relationships. With the rapid rate of globalization, it is important to ensure small regions and towns’ specific challenges are not overlooked. Glocalization can create an effective and necessary approach to address needs of local communities in today’s interconnected world. As part of the HIGO program, students have opportunities to participate in science research trainings, company internships and community workshops.
If you are interested in learning more about the HIGO program, please visit: http://higoprogram.org/en/about/index.html
About IIGR
Founded in 2012, the International Institute of Global Resilience (IIGR) is a think tank dedicated to improving and enhancing the readiness and professionalism of the emergency management community through education and research. IIGR’s mission is to explore the ongoing need for global resilience and its effect on the world’s economy and security. IIGR is a part of the S&R Foundation. For more information, visit www.AboutIIGR.org.