JCR International School 2019

Dates: July 25 (Thu.) ‐ July 27 (Sat.), 2019
Place: Karuizawa Prince Hotel West, Nagano, Japan

 Contents

•  Participants’ Voice
•  Photographs
•  Organizing Committee
•  Timetable
•  Program

 Participants Voice

Jacqueline Dekkers

The Netherlands

It was a great pleasure for me to visit the JCR International school in Karuizawa Japan. In addition, it was a great opportunity to meet all the other young rheumatologists/rheumatologic scientists. We had three days with interesting scientific presentations with lots of time for questions and discussion. During the seminar I presented research data from my PhD project and it was really nice that I got so many positive comments and valuable questions. All participants actively participated in the discussions and the JCR International school was very well organised. I would like to thank the organisation for inviting me, it was a great success. As it was my first time in Japan I was also able to combine it with a wonderful trip to visit the other cities. The JCR international school is a very valuable experience for young rheumatologists, thanks again.
 

Tomoyuki Mutoh

Japan

It was my great pleasure to have the opportunity to participate in JCR International School 2019 in Karuizawa. The tutor of the session, Dr. Ikeda, Chiba University, had given me valuable advices about discussion points before presentation. First day, I presented my research about the identification of novel antigens in Takayasu arteritis and the pathogenic roles of autoantibody against the targets in vitro. I was asked a lot of interesting questions and given several nice suggestions; however, because I could not exactly understand what questioners mentioned, I thought it was necessary to further practice listening in English. In addition, I could get the opportunity to learn various researches regarding rheumatology, which encouraged me to promote deep understanding of basic or clinical researches. So, this special meeting would be much precious for young rheumatologists.
Finally, I would like to say thank you for all the collaborators of JCR International School 2019.
 

Naoki Ohnishi

Japan

I would like to thank all of the tutors and JCR international school committee for giving me the opportunity to join this seminar. We had enjoyed giving a presentation, having a communication with English, and discussing about the science. However the JCR International School schedules are a bit though and we were glued to the venue, we were all satisfied with the program and felt the time flew by so fast. We had a wonderful time in Karuizawa. Moreover this conference’s biggest charm is that we could get known each other regardless of nationality. My roommate was from the other country. After the meeting, we discussed about the daily presentations and the differences of medication between our countries at the room. We felt that we got precious fellows in this conference. We had a great time and might never experience this again. Therefore I truly recommend this experience to all young rheumatologists. In the end, I hope JCR international school will continue in the future and this experience could be a chance to open our eyes to the world.
 

Hiroaki Hatano

Japan

It was an excellent opportunity for me to participate in this JCR international school in Karuizawa. I want to thank all participants, organizing committee members of JCR, especially my tutor, Prof. Kameda, for his support.
It was a great experience to present my research and discuss with young rheumatologists and tutors, which gave me the motivation to study Rheumatology and English.
Besides, this school gave me an excellent chance to make friends from all over the world. I hope this school will continue for a long time.
 

Shuang Liu

China

It was my great honor to attend the JCR International School 2019 in Karuizawa and meet all the excellent professors and young rheumatologists all over the world. The JCR International School was very well organized and I would like to thank all the professors and members for their efforts. I learned a lot about academic presentation skills from Prof. EH Jego and my tutor Prof. Hideto Kameda. All the presentations of young rheumatologists were very good and the discussion sections were really inspiring which deepen my understanding of rheumatology in both clinical and research aspect. I think that Japan young rheumatologists are having a very good scientific training system and doing excellent work. I really enjoyed the warm atmosphere of the school and made friends with all the wonderful young rheumatologists. The welcome parties were very good and we had a lot of time communicating with each other about culture and medical training programs. It was such a great experience and I strongly recommend my colleagues to attend the JCR International School in the future.
 

Yasumori Sobue

Japan

Thank you for inviting me this time.
Prof. Yoshiya Tanaka first mentioned “Enjoy science, make friends, enjoy Karuizawa.” I thought it was exactly that. Many rheumatologists of the same age participated in this seminar and considerably stimulated my motivation by talking with each other. Furthermore, it was very useful to have a chance to talk with Prof. Yoshiya Tanaka and other senior rheumatologists who play an active role in the world.
Thank you very much to Prof. Atsushi Kawakami, Chairperson of JCR International School Committee, Prof. Tsutomu Takeuchi, President of JCR and everyone who have prepared this seminar.
 

Takaaki Komiya

Japan

It was really great experience attending the JCR International School 2019.The meeting was a good opportunity to make friends and share information with rheumatologists from all over the world. It was really exciting for me to join the discussions on the latest updates of the both basic and clinical topics of rheumatology. A characteristic of the presentation at this meeting was the long discussion time. I have had several presentations in English so far, but it was the first time for such a long discussion time. All questions were good, pointed and suggestive for my study. So, I think it was meaningful time. In addition, I made a lot of friends in this meeting and talk about research or clinical practice. These experiences will have a good effect on my future research. It was very precious time. Finally, I thank all of the participants and tutors in this international school.
 

Takaharu Katagiri

Japan

It was a very fulfilling and really fun period, including the preparation period. I am a rheumatologist, but I am studying in a biochemistry course as a graduate student. Therefore, I was worried about how difficulty it was to tell the story to the clinician. Many teachers who are active as rheumatologists participated in this seminar, and I was impressed by the breadth of your insights and the attitude of being interested in different fields. I was convinced that this kind of attitude would cause a breakthrough. Opportunities for researchers from various fields to gather together were rare, and it was a great opportunity to expand their antennas. Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the supervisers, the secretariat, travel agencies, and supporting pharmaceutical companies. I look forward to your continued guidance.
 

Komei Sakata

Japan

I really appreciate JCR international committee giving me the great opportunity to join this seminar. These three days were very precious for me having discussion in English with rheumatologist around the same age. The workshop of presentation skill was so fun and taught me a lot of tips for effective presentation. The discussion session gave me a lot of interest and new insights of clinical and basic research. Discussing in English was difficult for me, but I felt these skills were necessary to communicate with researchers all over the world and to think and act globally. Also, keynote lectures by great teachers inspired me to research much harder. It was a precious opportunity to deepen my understanding for rheumatology and to make many friends from foreign countries and other universities. I strongly recommend for young rheumatologists to participate in this wonderful school.
Finally, I would like to thank all of the tutors, staffs and participants in this seminar.
 

Shih-Hsin Chang

Taiwan

Thanks to JCR for giving me this opportunity to participate in International School 2019. This is my first time to present in an international conference. I am very impressed with all the details of the arrangement.
The first session taught and offered some practical presentations skills, pitfalls of data visualization. In addition, we also practiced how to handle difficult Q&A moments with confidence and professionalism. It was very helpful to me. I have never heard of such a good lecture in the past.
During the meeting, I saw young Japanese researchers investing in basic research. Everyone expressed their ideas and exchanged opinions during the meeting. I felt very touched about the strong intentions. Thanks for being very friendly to foreign participants. I’d make friends from different country and different field of research. This meeting inspires me to continue learning in the future.
Thanks to my beautiful and elegant tutor for giving great support. I also really admire the spirit and ambition of the JCR chairman, who give guidance to all the young researchers and clinicians. At the end of the meeting, I was lucky to meet the fireworks festival (隅田川花火大会) with new friends. We followed the crowds and enjoy every bright and stunning moment. I hope to visit the beautiful Japan again.
 

Shunya Kaneshita

Japan

It was a great opportunity for me to participate in JCR International School 2019 in Karuizawa. I would like to thank the organizer of this amazing meeting, especially my mentor, Dr. Kobayashi, and all participants giving me good advice and suggestions. I had really fruitful time with an interesting discussion on various rheumatology topics and making friends from all over the world. I was impressed by young investigators discussed each other fluently in English. It was also many good chances for me to ask some questions in English. I feel much more confident to ask a question in the International annual conferences such as ACR and EULAR. That is why I recommend the participation of this international school for a young rheumatologist and hope this school to continue in the future.
 

Yuriko Yamamura

Japan

It was an honor to take part in the JCR International School 2019. I was able to have the opportunity to learn the methodology of presentation in addition to do my English presentation, and I have learned a lot from the lecture. And it was a very exciting experience to have conversations and exchange various thoughts not only about research but also cultures with participants from various countries. We felt free to ask questions to each other without tension, and I was able to deepen my understandings about research by having questions at the presentation.
I have learned so many things which is applicable at lectures or presentations, and I would like to appreciate the JCR for giving me the opportunity to participate in this seminar.
 

Ashish Jacob Mathew

India

The Japan College of Rheumatology International School is one of the most unique events I have attended. I would like to thank the JCR for giving me an opportunity to be part of this year’s initiative. Interacting with fellow rheumatologists from different parts of the globe and listening to their high-quality research, both basic science and clinical rheumatology helped me broaden my horizon to a good extent. The enthusiastic participation of faculty and mentors involved was exemplary. It was a good learning experience for me in terms of completing my presentation within the speculated time and fielding questions from participants and faculty for an extended period of time thereafter. The hospitality provided by the JCR staff and friendly atmosphere in general was overwhelming. Karuizawa is such a beautiful place – could only wish I had some more time to enjoy the serene nature. I hope to carry forward the bonds that were formed during this wonderful meeting.
 

David Simon

Germany

The 7th JCR International School in Karuizawa was an excellently organized scientific event at the highest level. The unique concept, based on interactive presentations by the participants and long discussions, resulted in a lively exchange. The mentors assigned to the participants were all top researchers in the field of rheumatology and immunology. Through the close contact to them and the guidance by them, the opportunity was given to learn a lot about international top research.
Through the varied evening program social exchange was possible, whereby close contacts and friendships for the rest of the life could be made.
In summary, the 7th JCR International School in Karuizawa was an incredible success, for which I would like to explicitly thank the organizers.
 

Bo Qu

China

It was my pleasure and honor to have the opportunity to attend JCR international school 2019. It was an extraordinary experience for me. We had the chance to learn the skills to make a good scientific presentation on the first day. For the participants, we got to know each other very soon in a relaxing environment. Each of the participants presented his or her work during the following days, questions from our peers, supervisors and senior professors were full of new insights and valuable suggestions. I have learned a lot and I was impressed by the enthusiasm of my peers which motivated me so much to advance my research. I appreciate all the organizing committee members very much for their hospitality. I will strongly recommend other young researchers to participate in the next JCR international school.
 

Sei Muraoka

Japan

It was a unique opportunity to train communication in English. An environment that is easy to ask has reduced the resistance to English communication. Therefore, there were many unfamiliar themes, but I was able to actively train. In addition, it was the greatest asset to be inspired by many researchers from Japan and abroad who have passion. I am grateful to meet them. It will be great if I could grow and see you again. Until I went to the meeting, I was too nervous and regretted having applied, but now I would like to go there again. People who are interested should apply. Karuizawa can come to easy and is a beautiful place. There is no way to miss such a wonderful opportunity.
In the end, I am grateful to Dr. Yamaoka, the other tutors, and the JCR staff for taking such a lot of hard work.
 

Takayoshi Morita

Japan

I had very nice days for JCR International School. It is difficult to communicate about various fields of rheumatology and specialist from various countries in friendly small workshop in Japan. All members were kind, friendly, and enthusiastic. Although my English speech was not good, it was a good experience. Many famous professors took part in this school and I was able to discuss the research with them. Karuizawa, the place for this school, was cool and peaceful and it was easy to spend in the summer season. Therefore I was satisfied with participation in this school. I would like to encourage our colleagues to join this school.
 

Taro Iwamoto

Japan

It was my great pleasure to attend JCR International School 2019 and meet passionate young investigators from EULAR and APLAR countries.

I was very impressed and motivated by their high-quality researches in diverse fields of rheumatology.
I would like to thank all the tutors and the staff of JCR committee for preparing this wonderful seminar. Thank you very much.
 

Aya Nawata

Japan

I appreciated the opportunity to participate in the JCR international school 2019. It was a great experience for me to discuss several studies about rheumatic diseases with many rheumatologists all over the world, in English. I was worried if I could make an English presentation, understand the audience’s questions and answer them, so I couldn’t sleep well. However, the first lecture by Dr. Jego who talked about how to give an English presentation made my anxiety go away. It was very enjoyable.
I could communicate with many young rheumatologists from various countries, in other words, foreign colleagues and make friends. I was stimulated by their enthusiasm to research rheumatic diseases. At last day, my turn came, I still couldn’t speak English fluently, but I was given a lot of suggestions by participants. In addition, I found a lot of problems to solve. The climate of Karuizawa was nice and cool, however there was no doubt that the JCR international school was the hottest place in Karuizawa.
Finally, I’d like to thank my tutor Dr. Yasuda, all participants and the members of the JCR International School Committee.
 

 Photographs

 JCR International School Committee