Celebrating 30 Years of Cross-Cultural Exchange

Following a three-year hiatus necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual educational and cultural exchange between the UCLA School of Dentistry, Meikai University, and Asahi University resumes this week as 10 Japanese dental students and two faculty members visit Westwood. A similarly-sized Bruin delegation, who served as hosts, then crossed the Pacific Ocean from March 23 to April 1.

Since 1992 this incredible partnership has created multiple generations of dental professionals and leaders with a global perspective. Supported by the Dr. Susumu Miyata Endowment for Educational and Cultural Exchange, program participants are inspired to use this opportunity to apply their inherent talents and passions to change the profession of dentistry for the greater good.

Reflecting on the past 30 years provides an opportunity to highlight the exchange’s indelible impact on participants from UCLA, Meikai, and Asahi universities, while also acknowledging that its true expanse is yet to come.

A Brief History of the UCLA Dentistry, Meikai, and Asahi Educational and Cultural Exchange, by Henry Takei, D.D.S., M.S.

It was through a chance meeting with Dr. Hiroshi Kawazu, who happened to be in Los Angeles for a Japanese dental function in 1982, that the seeds of the Miyata Endowment for Educational and Cultural Exchange among the UCLA School of Dentistry, Meikai University (MU), and Asahi University (AU) were planted.

Dr. Kawazu and Dr. Henry Takei – a distinguished clinical professor of periodontics at UCLA – met and discussed their mutual desire to create an academic and cultural exchange program. Through his affiliation with Meikai University, Dr. Kawazu approached the Chairman of the Board for MU and Asahi University – Dr. Susumu Miyata – regarding the potential to create a meaningful relationship with UCLA.

A lifelong advocate for international and intercultural education and understanding, under Dr. Miyata’s stewardship MU and AU established exchange and cooperative agreements with numerous global universities, while the campuses host many international students and faculty members who journey to Japan.

UCLA, itself an institution with a long-standing commitment to the advancement of international education and global linkages, is similarly committed to the advancement of person-to-person diplomacy and the promotion of intercultural understanding.

Following several years of discussions, in 1992 Dr. Miyata and then-School of Dentistry Dean Henry Cherrick signed a formal partnership agreement to promote educational and cultural exchange. The timing of this announcement was poignant, occurring in the wake of the Los Angeles Riots as the city began healing from physical scars and racial tensions.

In 1993 the first exchange cohort from Japan was welcomed to UCLA Dentistry, and it proved to be a successful endeavor for both student and faculty participants. Deepening the partnership and perpetuating its long-term success, the $1 million Susumu Miyata Endowment was created in 2005.

For 27 consecutive years until the interruption caused by COVID-19, these exchanges were organized annually, with 10 MU/AU students plus two faculty members visiting Los Angeles and an equal-sized delegation from UCLA visiting Japan during academic breaks at each university.

With the retirement of Dr. Miyata in 2014, his son, Jun Miyata, now presides as Chairman of the Board. Chairman Miyata is similarly-committed to continuing and enhancing the relationship with UCLA and holds a seat on the School of Dentistry’s Board of Counselors.

Looking to the future, UCLA School of Dentistry, Meikai University, and Asahi University plan to actively engage in both basic and clinical research, adding yet another layer to the meaningful educational and cross-cultural relationship activities among the three universities.