In this course, students from the Faculty of Clinical Veterinary Medicine of Kagoshima University (1~6 grades) were invited to join it and 15 students participated. 2 students were from University of Georgia (USA) and 3 students were from National Chung Hsing University (Taiwan). COIL class were conducted 4 times and we made it possible for the students to attendance it both online and directly. After the lecture, 3 University’s students with focus on 4th grade of them discussed and made reports with together.
As for actual student exchange program, 2 students were sent to University of Georgia (UGA) and 3 students were sent to National Chung Hsing University(NCHU) from Kagoshima University (KU), and in exchange, 1 student from UGA and 3 students from NCHU were received by KU. All students received hands-on practice and attended classes at each University’s Veterinary hospitals. Each student has got more acquainted through this time.
Although there were not so many participants in this course, most of the students are high academic achievers, therefore were driven and highly motivated to be in this course.
Regarding COIL classes, we have made it possible to listen the class again in a time that suits the student making it possible to understand the content at their own pace. Three faculty professors gave different lectures on themes which differ from the usual lecture program of Clinical Veterinary Medicine courses which made it highly interesting for the students. After listening to the lectures, they discussed them with students in foreign University using Skype etc., and it was a great result that we were able to recognize the different levels of consciousness among each country.
Using COIL, a KU professor gave a lecture about transboundary animal diseases which is especially problem for global veterinary medicine and students discussed comparing actual contents to be studied in each field work. This is important as an education in the concept of “one world, one health”, but it makes more acceptable as a real issue when students from different Asian countries and the United States, which have different environments, actually exchange ideas. As Kagoshima is one of the leading areas of animal husbandry and positioned as the southern entrance to Japan, it is really good region for a veterinary doctor to think about these issues. There is a special disease also in Taiwan and Georgia and therefore students found new experiences by exchanging this information.
In 2019, students from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine took the initiative and held a symposium on US-Kagoshima-Asia Triad Program. Most of the planning and management were left to the students. A guest for a special lecture was invited from NCHU. Planning a symposium by themselves also brought a great educational effect. Especially, it brought some consideration of what goes on behind the scenes in global academia for students who will take part in academic conferences and symposia in the future.
