Dear Friends of the Takemi Program,
It is a great pleasure for me, as Director of the Takemi Program in International Health at Harvard University, to welcome you to the 30th Anniversary Symposium for the Takemi Program. This event has been organized, in partnership with the Japan Medical Association, to help explain the Program’s contributions to health in Japan and to global health. The Symposium also celebrates thirty years of the Takemi Program at Harvard and provides for a reunion of the community of Takemi Fellows.
Thirty years have passed so quickly. It seems just a short time ago that Dean Howard Hiatt, Professor David Bell, and Dr. Taro Takemi were talking about their dreams for the Takemi Program at Harvard. In these thirty years, 242 Takemi Fellows from 51 countries have participated in the program.
Many have served in leadership positions in their countries, as Minister of Health, Deans of Schools, Vice-Chancellor of Universities, Chairs of Departments, founders of civil society organizations—leading organizations and scholarship in new directions. During these three decades, 52 Takemi Fellows have participated from Japan.
These Japanese Takemi Fellows have served in leadership positions in many organizations, in government, in academics, and in healthcare, providing a strong foundation for a global health perspective throughout Japanese society.
On behalf of Harvard University I wish to express our profound appreciation to all the individuals and organizations in Japan who have supported the Takemi Program over these thirty years. The Takemi Program has become globally recognized as a unique example of US-Japanese collaboration to advance global health and promote health research and policy-making in low and middle income countries.
We appreciate all who have helped us these thirty years, and we look forward to continuing collaboration for another thirty years.