On June 7, students and graduate students from the Department of Education and the Department of Nursing in the Faculty of Human Sciences participated in an international collaborative online learning (COIL) program with graduate students from the Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University in Thailand.
A total of 10 students, including those from the International Educational Development Seminar (led by Professor Taro Komatsu) and undergraduate and graduate students from the Department of Nursing (led by Associate Professor Nahoko Okamoto), joined the program. From Mahidol University, 20 students enrolled in the Master’s Program in Public Health Nursing, many of whom are community health nurses, participated.
Under the shared theme of “Health Education in Schools and Communities,“ participants transcended national and disciplinary boundaries to compare and discuss educational approaches and challenges. Following a lecture by Professor Komatsu on “Health, Education, and Development,” mixed groups of Japanese and Thai students exchanged ideas on health education in schools. This was followed by a lecture by Associate Professor Arpaporn Powwattana from Mahidol University, where participants learned about community-based health education practices and challenges. They also engaged in in-depth discussions on addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promoting behavioral change.
Students shared their reflections, saying, “I was surprised by the advanced nature of sex education in Thailand,” “Interacting with students from different fields allowed me to reevaluate health education,” and “I was able to learn beyond language and cultural differences.” Many expressed a desire for the program to continue and to explore deeper themes in the future. Through this program, students applied theories from social and human sciences to critically examine issues faced by vulnerable populations. Additionally, the experience of multicultural collaboration provided a valuable opportunity to develop critical thinking, creativity, and international communication skills.
