January 1st, 2021
The year 2020 was a year unlike any other due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yokohama City University took various measures to pursue educational activities, including remotely holding classes and conducting research. We also had to be creative in planning new ways to carry out international exchange. Meanwhile, we have been making focused efforts to prevent infection while working toward resuming in-person classes and extracurricular activities to preserve students’ direct interpersonal relations at this important time for character development.
Moreover, our two affiliated hospitals are fulfilling their mission as university hospitals by achieving a balance between taking on the medical treatment of severe COVID-19 cases and maintaining their highly advanced medical care services. Although the end of the pandemic is not in sight, we have learned considerably from our experience thus far and we are determined to continue putting everything into our academic, research, and medical endeavors.
In a world undergoing dramatic transformation during and in the aftermath of COVID-19, Yokohama City University aims to be “a university at the forefront of societal change.” We are dedicated to training the human resources the new normal will require and to further develop the fields of study we have been cultivating. It is our mission to carry out research that will lead to solutions to evolving challenges through an interdisciplinary approach. Going forward, we will thus continue to engage with the SDGs and to promote social contribution. To this end, we kindly ask for your understanding and support as we accelerate various reforms this year.
In closing, I sincerely hope 2021 is a year filled with joy for everyone as well as for Yokohama City University.
Sincerely,
Michiko Aihara
Yokohama City University President