Osaka University Symposium “Living Safe, Sound, and Healthy Lives after COVID-19” held

On January 9, 2021, the Osaka University Symposium "Living Safe, Sound, and Healthy Lives after COVID-19" was held jointly with Osaka International Convention Center Corp. both online and in-person at Grand Cube Osaka in Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka. Some 100 individuals were in attendance at the venue, while some 200 individuals participated online from the Kansai region and locations all over Japan, such as Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Mie, Fukuoka, and Oita.

Osaka University has made a number of accomplishments during the COVID-19 pandemic on a number of fronts in education, research, and medicine. The university held this symposium in order to discuss and make proposals with companies and government offices from the diverse perspectives of a comprehensive university.

The symposium was held with the utmost care taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as preventing crowding of attendees, checking the body temperature of attendees via non-contact thermal cameras, placing automatic hand sanitizer stations, and installing plastic sheets at the podium to prevent spread via droplets.

An opening greeting from OU President NISHIO Shojiro was followed by lectures from individuals from Osaka University, corporations, and the government, and then a closing greeting by OU Executive Vice President KANEDA Yasufumi.

The symposium was a rousing success, with comments from participants such as: “It showed OU’s comprehensive strength and latent power” and “It presented the development of OU’s policies with wider vision."

Lectures delivered at the symposium:

Session 1: “Putting a Stop to COVID-19”

• “Characteristics and Control Methods of Viruses,” MATSUURA Yoshiharu (Professor, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University)
• “Immunological Knowledge Necessary to Understand Immunological Disorders,” KUMANOGOH Atsushi (Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University)
• “Endeavors and Challenges in Preventing the Spread of Infections,” TOMONO Kazunori (Professor, Graduate School of Medicine)

Session 2: Thinking Beyond the COVID-19 Crisis

• “Education and Research Activity at Osaka University,” TANAKA Toshihiro (Executive Vice President, Osaka University)
• “Mental Health and Social Aspects of the COVID-19 Crisis," MIURA Asako (Professor, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University)
• “Industry-University-Government Co-Creation in the Era of COVID-19,” SAKATA Tsuneaki (Specially Appointed Professor, Co-Creation Bureau, Osaka University/Senior Fellow, Shionogi & Co., Ltd.)

Panel Discussion “Making Use of Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Moderator: OHTAKE Fumio (Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University)

Panelists:

• SAWADA Takuko (Director/Executive Vice President/Senior Vice President of Integrated Disease Care Department, Shionogi & Co., Ltd.)
• MORII Yoshihiro (General Manager, Brand Strategy Planning Department, Panasonic Corporation)
• FUJII Mutsuko (Chief, Health and Medical Care Department, Osaka Prefectural Government)
• OHNO Yuko (Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University)
• NAKANO Takashi (Professor/Director, Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University)

President Nishio greets participants

A scene from the panel discussion "Making Use of Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic"