The Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Okayama University conducted student exchanges with Inner Mongolia Medical University (IMMU) from October to November.

From October 28 to 31, Professor OOHASHI Toshitaka, Chair of the Master's Degree Program, and Professor NAGATSUKA Hitoshi, Director of the Shenyang Office, along with two Ph.D. students from the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, visited IMMU for the first time for a courtesy visit and a student exchange. A welcome speech was given by Hao Meiqing, Director of the Foreign Affairs of IMMU in the conference room on the Jinshan campus. A video introducing IMMU and the staff involved in international exchange with Okayama University was shown.

Next, Chair Oohashi expressed his thanks for the visit, introduced the visiting members, and presented the Okayama University-IMMU Program (OIMMY program). Afterwards, Director Nagatsuka gave a presentation on the overview and current status of the Dental School of Okayama University, followed by an exchange of information on future exchanges. Additionally, two master’s students from the Department of Dentistry at IMMU joined the meeting and deepened their interactions with two Ph.D. students from Okayama University.

From November 17 to 23, Okayama University hosted 10 international students and 3 faculty members from IMMU for the Pre-OIMMY Short Visit Program. During the previous visit to IMMU, IMMU offered to send 10 master's students and 3 faculty members to Okayama University in late November. The visit was made possible with the aim of exchanging views on the partnership agreement with Okayama University and the OIMMY Program.

At the welcoming ceremony, Chair Oohashi gave a speech. Following the introduction of faculty members from IMMU—Professor Qiu Yi (President of the Second Affiliated Hospital), Professor Li Gang (Vice Dean of the Graduate School), and Professor Chaolu Eerdun (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences) the 10 international students introduced themselves along with the receiving faculty and students from Okayama University.

After the welcoming ceremony, the students were assigned to their preferred research labs in the medical and dental fields. In the labs, the students were given introductions to the fields, lab tours, and experimental guidance, showing great interest. A student-led tour was also conducted, and active student exchanges between the two universities took place through the exploration of the research environment.

At the OIMMY student-led welcome party, visiting faculty and students exchanged information on life in Okayama, research lab life, essential language skills, and how to select research fields, deepening their interaction.

Visiting faculty members visited the research labs where the OIMMY students were assigned, engaged in discussions with the receiving faculty, and actively exchanged opinions regarding the research and the reception process. Additionally, faculty members from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences gave presentations on their research fields.

On the final day, the students visited Kurashiki and enjoyed a cultural exchange guided by Ph.D. students who had visited IMMU in October. Although the visit was short, the students appeared satisfied with the research and cultural exchange experiences.

The OIMMY program, which has been running for about two years, has strengthened the relationship between the two universities through the direct meetings and student exchanges during these visits. This is expected to further enhance academic and student exchanges. Going forward, Okayama University will continue to strive to attract excellent students.

○OIMMY Program
The Okayama University-IMMU Program (OIMMY) was launched with the aim of attracting outstanding students and invigorating research exchanges. In December 2022, an inter-departmental agreement was signed between the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Okayama University and the Graduate School of IMMU. The program has already welcomed the first batch of students from IMMU in 2023, with one student, and the second batch of five students in 2024.