There was a healthy boost for collaboration with Japan's Saitama Prefectural University recently.

CQUniversity Associate Professor Monica Moran, from Occupational Therapy, hosted Dr Midori Shimazaki and Dr Ako Yoshinaga from Saitama's School of Health and Social Services.

Saitama Prefectural University (SPU) has a long history of interprofessional health education and the university recently received funding from the Japanese Government to ramp up national and international collaboration and research activities. Midori and Ako visited CQUniversity Rockhampton to observe the many interprofessional projects in operation and to discuss the logistics of developing student and staff interprofessional exchange projects.

Lived Experience Mental Health academic Louise Byrne (right) and Assoc Prof Monica Moran welcome Ako Yoshinaga (left) and Dr Midori Shmazaki to Rockhampton Campus

Right from the start, the visitors were able to experience CQUniversity's cutting-edge approach to interprofessional collaboration and simulation for health education, including the innovative MASK-ED^TM  simulation package used alongside a high-fidelity manikin.

The visitors toured the new Allied Health teaching spaces and visited the CQUniversity Health Clinic where they received a formal Japanese welcome from the clinic team followed by afternoon tea and a Q&A session with the many students completing interprofessional fieldwork experience.  

Lived Experience Mental Health academic Louise Byrne and Assoc Prof Moran briefed Midori and Ako on the CQUniversity Interprofessional Mental Health Collaboration with Queensland Health -  Developing and Implementing Innovative Solutions for Clinical Training Placements in Mental Health, and introduced them to the concept of Lived Experience Academics and recovery lead approaches. The visit culminated with a meeting with senior University staff to discuss ongoing collaboration and engagement opportunities.

L-R Anthony Weber from Paramedic Science and Assoc Prof Monica Moran from Occupational Therapy with Dr Midori Shimazaki and Ako Yoshinaga during their tour of Rockhampton Campus 
The 'masked educator' (aka Prof Kerry Reid-Searl) is checked by Paramedic Science academics Darryl Holley and Anthony Weber  
Anthony Weber ushers in masked educator Professor Kerry Reid-Searl 
The element of surprise shows on the visitors' faces after the un-masking of Professor Kerry Reid-Searl after a simulated health exercise