Celebrating partnership with the Kawasaki Gakuen medical institute
Principal Sir Michael Dixon bestowed Kawasaki Gakuen Chairman of board of directors, Dr Seiji Kawasaki MD, PhD, with a Radcliffe Fellowship on a visit to the medical institute in Okayama, Japan on Monday 13 May.
Sir Michael said, ‘The relationship between Green College and the Kawasaki Gakuen owes a debt of gratitude to the leadership and foresight of Chairman Seiji Kawasaki’s father and predecessor, Akinori Kawasaki and then warden of Green College, Sir John Hanson. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the signing of the memorandum of understanding which foresaw the current relationship.
‘I am delighted that the exchange programme of visits has been rekindled since the period during the Covid-19 pandemic when visits from Oxford to Okayama and from Okayama to Oxford were simply not possible. It is indeed a pleasure to be here in Okayama to mark this award.
‘Green College and now Green Templeton College awards honorary fellowships rarely and only in exceptional circumstances where the recipient is held in the highest esteem. The highest category of Honorary Fellowship, Radcliffe Fellowship – named for the great 17th century physician and philanthropist John Radcliffe – is awarded more rarely still and is reserved for those honorary fellows who have rendered the College exceptional service.
‘Chairman Akinori Kawasaki was awarded this accolade and I am personally delighted today to represent the Governing Body of Green Templeton in awarding Dr Seiji Kawasaki this same recognition of the college’s deep esteem.’
Sir Michael was accompanied on the visit by Director of Development and Alumni Relations Ceri Butcher, Emeritus Fellow Professor Richard Gibbons and Ursula Gibbons.
As part of the visit, the 15th review meeting of the partnership took place, where both the Kawasaki Gakuen, and the college committed to continue the partnership. As part of the meeting a discussion took place about the future management of the fellowship and student exchange programmes with suggestions on implementing a more formalised approach to its management, which will benefit both parties.
A lunch followed the presentation of the Radcliffe Fellowship to Chairman Kawasaki where previous Kawasaki Fellows shared their experiences of visiting Oxford over more than two decades.
After lunch there was an extensive tour of the Kawasaki Gakuen, which included a number of specialist hospitals, the medical school, the university for medical welfare and the medical museum.