Since the end of the Cold War, the concept of “Human Security” has become a primary concern of the international society. This new concept strongly addresses the issues for security of “people”, in addition to that of “nation”, such as illnesses, disasters, infectious diseases outbreaks, environmental hazards, poverty, and conflicts, and recognizes that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want. Most of the insecurity events and situations in the 21st century are the complex of multiple causing factors and their solutions might require new leaders, both in research and in practice, who can take broader perspectives based on interdisciplinary views and scientific knowledge.
“ Public Health Science for Human Security“ Program is a two-year Master’s Degree Program of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. It aims at developing researchers and public health leaders in Asia and the rest of the international society who will contribute to the realization of human security by taking leadership in the solutions of security problems in public health.
The program is part of the Tohoku University International Post-Graduate Program in Human Security , a multi-disciplinary program currently involving four disciplines as follows:
with focus on preventable death events as well as social systems behind them, such as infectious diseases, chemical hazards, disasters and patient safety issues;
with focus on food security at both national and household levels, food safety and nutrition, farming and marketing, sustainable agricultural development, rural development and rural institutions, village governance, and role sharing between market and government for development;
with focus on education and research about the impact of environmental changes in water, forest, soil, climate and ecosystems on people’s lives and communities;
with focus on individual social security problem in daily lives affected by issues related to human rights, gender, conflict and refugees, as well as on researches about how social security would be established in the changing environments surrounding states and their citizens.