Perspectives of Health Care: A Cross Cultural Comparison – Summer Program with Kitasato University

This year, from August 1^st to August 12^th, the Global Health Office (GHO) is hosting a summer program titled Perspectives of Health Care: A Cross Cultural Comparison. Taking place virtually, Japan’s Kitasato University joins the GHO for an innovative experiential learning exchange that is designed to share knowledge, cultural approaches, and best practices in health sciences education.

With United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) in mind, the GHO has organized a series of lectures for senior undergraduate nursing students and faculty members from Kitasato University.

The program will foster collaboration and spark dialogue about innovative teaching and learning methodologies, health care systems, and approaches to global health issues. Launching last week, the agenda included an overview of the Canadian health care system and nursing and midwifery practice and education in Ontario, Canada.

Offering an in-depth look at problem based-learning, students will engage in group work and case studies to enhance their learning and advance their clinical practice in nursing. Integral to their learning experience, students have the opportunity to discuss what they have learned in the lectures by completing a cross cultural comparison of health care in the Canadian and Japanese context.  As a point of interest of the students, the agenda also includes a lecture on Canada’s policy response to migration and support for refugees.

“The success of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals depends on collaboration and partnerships with other universities and networks” explains Andrea Baumann, McMaster’s Associate VP, Faculty of Health Sciences (Global Health), “and the experience provides an opportunity to explore pressing issues from different cultural contexts.”

We are excited to continue offering this program in partnership with Kitasato University, which is the first since students and faculty visited McMaster University in 2019. This new virtual format provides the opportunity to continue collaboration in an online and interactive setting. We hope this format will reduce barriers for international exchanges and experiential learning opportunities with our international partners this year and beyond.