大学院健康栄養学研究科の開設記念国際シンポジウムに寄せて

Opening Address at the Memorial Symposium Marking the Inauguration of UNP Graduate School of Health and Nutrition

Good afternoon, everyone.

It is a great honor for us to co-host an international symposium titled “Creating a Healthy Food Environment for Asian Children” with four esteemed universities in Niigata.

We extend a warm welcome to our distinguished speakers: Professor Roosita from IPB University in Indonesia, Dr. Pavadhgul and Dr. Boonchu from Mahidol University in Thailand, Professor Africa from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and Professor Mejeenov Buje from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.

The theme of this symposium, “Healthy Food Environment for Asian Children,” is a fundamental and crucial research topic in health and nutrition science. Research in this area can provide valuable scientific evidence to inform educational and social welfare policies aimed at creating an environment where all children can learn and thrive, regardless of their socioeconomic background.

School feeding programs and systems, one of the key research areas of this symposium, have a long history and vary significantly across countries. In Japan, the school feeding program was first introduced in 1889 in Turuoka, a small town in Yamagata Prefecture. The initial menu was quite simple, consisting of rice balls, grilled fish, and salted vegetables. Over the past century and a half, the Japanese school feeding program has evolved considerably. Despite a temporary suspension during the war due to food shortages, the program has been revived and expanded. Today, schoolchildren in Japan enjoy a diverse and nutritious menu, and the school feeding program has become an integral part of Japanese society.

I believe that each country has its own unique history of school feeding programs. By comparing these different histories, we can gain valuable insights into how to create optimal food environments for school children.

This symposium also marks the inauguration of our university’s Graduate School of Health and Nutrition, which was established this April. The Graduate School focuses on research and education in three key areas: nutritional management, food development, and policies and institutions for promoting optimal health and nutrition. The theme of today’s symposium is directly related to the research and educational objectives of our new graduate school, making this event particularly timely and fitting.

In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our distinguished speakers, participants, and organizers. I hope that today’s symposium will be a resounding success and serve as a catalyst for future research collaborations among our five universities.

Thank you very much.

 

October 31, 2023

Ryuhei Wakasugi

President and Chair of the Board
University of Niigata Prefecture