We have been holding a series of events called “Find-Your-Role-Model” Session to provide students with opportunities to interact with TMDU alumni and worldwide leaders in healthcare sciences. Through this roundtable-type, relaxed atmosphere event, we hope students will be able to find their role models to help facilitate their career development toward becoming future global leaders.

We are pleased to invite Dr. Naoyuki Kawahara, who provides medical support to people in Africa, as an Executive Director of NPO Rocinantes. Dr. Kawahara gained his clinical experience in the surgical department of Kyushu University School of Medicine (General and Gastroenterological Surgery, currently) and obtained his PhD in biochemistry from Kyushu University. He served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a medical officer from 1998, working at the Embassy of Japan in Tanzania, UK, and Sudan. While he was in the UK, he studied Tropical Medicine at the University of London. In January 2005, he resigned his post, and in April started providing medical support to people in Sudan. In 2006, he established the NPO Rocinantes in his hometown, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. In 2019, he set up another base in Zambia and started providing health care there too. In addition, he is also committed to medical support in Japan; providing reconstruction assistance at the Great East Japan Earthquake-affected areas until March 2016 and now as an expert officer of infection control measures in Kitakyushu City.

Everyone is welcome to join us in a hearty discussion.

Topics

1) Personal Background and Vision

His future vision of society and mission, his career vision and its origin, the reason he pursued a career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, determination and background to later resign and start medical support in Sudan, role-models, making decisions at crossroads

2) Current / future activities

Regarding his current work, past hardships / failures and how he overcame them, the changes he notices by working on site in Africa

3) His mindset

Keys to achieving success in providing medical support in developing countries as a doctor from a developed country

4) Advice for students / young professionals

Advice for students and young healthcare workers having aspiration to contribute to global health in the future (ex. Attitude they should develop, things to learn other than medicine)