January 11, 2023
Every year, the School of Medicine holds a New Year Celebration for faculty, staff, and Sanshikai members to welcome the new year. This year, due to the spread of COVID-19, the event was held on Thursday, January 5, with only authorized personnel in attendance and with thorough infection prevention measures, such as the mandatory wearing of masks at all times. The ceremony was live-streamed via a Zoom webinar from the main conference room on the 11th floor of Building 2 of Keio University Hospital.
Dr. Koyu Kobayashi, President of the Kitasato Institute, which has close ties with Keio University, was welcomed as a guest of honor. The ceremony began with a New Year's address from Takanori Kanai, Dean of the School of Medicine. This was followed by congratulatory remarks from Kohei Itoh, President of Keio University (read by Vice-President Yuko Kitagawa in his absence), Dr. Koyu Kobayashi, President of the Kitasato Institute, Junzo Takeda, Chairman of the Sanshikai, Morio Matsumoto, Hospital Director, and Makoto Suematsu, Professor at the School of Medicine (representing the faculty and staff).
Gratitude was also expressed to the faculty and staff who worked together in clinical care, research, and education for the School of Medicine and the Hospital throughout the whirlwind year of 2022. It was stated that although the "with-COVID" situation will continue in 2023, they will move forward both in Japan and abroad with the spirit of mutual support among all faculty and staff, which has now become part of the organizational culture of Keio University.
In conjunction with the New Year Celebration, the award ceremony for the Keio Medical Science Prize Rising Star Award, established by the Sakaguchi-Mitsuhiro Memorial Keio University Medical Science Fund, was also held. The two recipients were Associate Professor Toshihide Kurihara of the Department of Ophthalmology and Senior Assistant Professor Min-Kyo Seo of the Department of Infectious Diseases.
Photo by: Kishi Takeshi