In May 2025, the “Ca’ Foscari University of Venice Kansai Medical University Academic Hub” was opened on the 2nd floor of Kan-i Annex Building 1. Established as a joint office under the MOU signed on September 6, 2024, the hub aims to accelerate academic collaboration in research and education. Prior to its opening, Kansai Medical University and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice concluded a Memorandum on the Management and Operation of a Joint Office. The hub serves as the University’s base for international collaboration, with Professor Pezzotti, Director of the Biomedical Engineering Center. We will make full use of this hub to further promote international exchange.

Philosophy

Japan and Italy are working together to advance innovative research through the integration of diverse fields, including medicine, engineering, and biomedical engineering, with the goal of translating medical research outcomes into clinical practice. Through international educational research exchange, we also hope that students and researchers will deepen their understanding of key scientific areas in medicine and develop a truly global perspective. We will continue to strengthen ties with research institutions and medical facilities in both countries, working to advance medicine and improve people’s health and quality of life.

Partners

Kansai Medical University collaborates with an Italian consortium consisting of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the University of Ferrara, and IRCCS San Camillo Hospital. Together, we have established joint academic hubs to support educational research collaboration between Japan and Italy: in March 2025 at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and in August 2025 at IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, located on the Lido island of Venice and renowned for its advanced neurorehabilitation. With the addition of a joint academic hub on our own university facilities, the three hubs in Japan and Italy are now connected, creating a framework for international education and research.

Activities

As concrete initiatives, Kansai Medical University and the Italian consortium jointly held a four-institution Summer School (Venice, August 2025) and a Spring School (Hirakata City, April 2026). Through these activities, we are putting interdisciplinary collaboration across medicine and engineering into practice.

Furthermore, beginning in the 2026 academic year, a double-degree doctoral program has been launched between the Physical and Materials Engineering field at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the Bioengineering and Medical Sciences field at Kansai Medical University. The joint academic hub also serves as a base for research and exchange activities for students in this program. In addition, we are strengthening our cooperation with IRCCS San Camillo Hospital as a destination for overseas clinical training, and we look forward to further development of academic exchange between Japan and Italy.