On 5th July, 2023, Kyoto University Research Administration Center (KURA) held the networking event “Meet Your KU Community!” online and 25 researchers participated. Following on from the previous event, it was held in cooperation with Hiroshima University and the researchers and URAs attended from the university.

In this seminar, Dr. Ethan SAHKER, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, gave a presentation titled “Supporting International Student Mental Health”. From the perspective of a clinical psychologist, he discussed the critical needs for mental health support measures for international students.
While touching on issues unique to international students studying away from their home countries, he compared them with efforts being made at overseas universities.
Also, he introduced the importance of fostering a sense of community by combining cognitive behavioral therapy and mutual support groups among students, in order to maintain the mental health of the university and the surrounding community as a whole.

Following the talk, Dr. Nicolas TAJAN, Program-Specific Associate Professor, Psychopathology and Psychoanalysis Lab, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, commented on the efforts including the introduction of some of the initiatives already underway at the university.

In the Q&A session that followed, researchers in Buddhist studies, biophysics and chemical physics, econometrics, ecological agriculture, and nanomaterials chemistry asked questions and exchanged their views including the inclusive environment for students they regularly interact.

After the event, those who wished to attend were able to meet in person, and additional information on mental health issues for international students and foreign residents was also shared via email. This event was an opportunity for various exchanges to take place!

In organizing this session, Ms. Hiroko Araki, our URA colleague at Hiroshima University (Research Strategy and Promotion Division, Headquarters for Co-creative Future Sciences), assisted us with publicity.
This event was planned and moderated by SASAKI Yu URA, and Masumi Oishi, an administrative staff of KURA supported the planning and operation of the event.
KURA will continue to make efforts to strengthen the KU research capabilities through supporting international researchers.