University of Cologne: Cologne, Germany, February 2018
From February 4 to 6, seven researchers from Keio University, including Masayuki Amagai (Dean and Professor of the School of Medicine), visited the University of Cologne and held a joint symposium titled "Keio-Cologne Symposium on Aging & Longevity."
It is hoped that sharing medical research findings on the mechanisms of aging and the various age-related diseases that many people face will further promote research and educational collaboration between the two universities, with the aim of achieving a healthier, longer-living society.
From the University of Cologne, 14 researchers gathered, including the Dean of its medical school, as well as researchers from CECAD Cluster of Excellence, DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases), the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing Cologne, and the university hospital. These researchers, all conducting medical research on aging and longevity at their respective institutions, presented their latest findings and engaged in discussions.
Researchers from both inside and outside the University of Cologne who are interested in longevity research, as well as graduate students from the Cologne Graduate School of Ageing Research located at CECAD, also attended the venue. They engaged in enthusiastic discussions with researchers from both universities before and after the presentations.
CECAD at the University of Cologne (Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases)
Through this joint symposium, an agreement was reached to launch joint research projects in this field in the near future and to promote exchanges of graduate students and young postdoctoral researchers by utilizing CECAD's international graduate program, the Graduate School of Ageing Research.
It was also agreed to more actively utilize the framework of the Global Network Partnership Agreement, signed between the two universities in 2014, to further strengthen collaboration in education and research.
1. Greetings before the start of the welcome reception on the first day by Professor Keiichi Kodaira, Director of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Bonn Office
2. Professor Ito's presentation during Session 1: Metabolism on the first day of the symposium"Significance of epigenetic modulation/DNA repair in 'cardio-metabolic memory' and metabolic kidney diseases"
3. Q&A session following Professor Yasui's presentation, "Roles of Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in neurodegenerative diseases," during Session 2: Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Disorders on the second day of the symposium
4. Group photo taken at CECAD after the business meeting between representatives of the University of Cologne and Keio University on February 5(Front row, from right: Dean Krieg, Vice Rector Mansel, Dean Amagai, and others)
5. Staff of the Centre for International Relations of the Medical Faculty (ZIB Med)From right: Dr. Kockemann, Dr. Schrader-Wille, Ms. Schneider
6. Dean Amagai, Prof. Schumacher (CECAD), and Dean KriegPledging to strengthen future collaboration between Cologne and Keio
Coinciding with the symposium, Yukihiro Ikeda (Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Economics) and Professor Colin McKenzie from Keio University also visited Cologne. A signing ceremony was held to conclude an agreement for a new Double Master's Degree and a five-year BA/MA degree program to be launched by Keio's Faculty of Economics and Graduate School of Economics and the University of Cologne's Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences.
University of Cologne, The Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences News