Greeting
Mission and Outlook of the Japanese Society of Nephrology
Masaomi Nangaku
President
Japanese Society of Nephrology
Vice Dean and Professor
Division of Nephrology and Endocrinology
The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine
Effective June 2022, I have been appointed the president of the Japanese Society of Nephrology (JSN). I am humbled by the weight of this responsibility.
The mission of the JSN is to contribute to society through research and promotion of nephrology while satisfying the expectations of the Japanese people. To achieve this, the JSN has been engaged in various activities, including studies and exploration in the field of kidney medicine, development of human resources, promotion of lifelong education, dissemination of research findings to society, and enhancement of the health and welfare of Japanese people.
The JSN has grown exponentially because of the outstanding leadership demonstrated by the past presidents with great foresight and creativity, as well as the significant achievements made by executives and general members. However, we are now living in turbulent conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial changes in medical care and international exchange. A fierce war broke out in Eastern Europe, and it is an urgent issue to provide support to people with diseases who are most vulnerable to disasters. In Europe, the United States, and Australia, consideration of the environmental impact of medical care has led to the need for green medicine to establish sustainable medical care, which has been emphasized for several years. While looking ahead to the future and fostering the next generation, we need to work together to further develop Japan's world-leading kidney medicine and optimize medical care by keeping abreast of the latest international affairs and standards. To this end, we will continue to move forward as an academic society to overcome renal diseases in these rapidly changing times while following and improving the JSN's conventional path. We intend to make greater efforts to respond sincerely to the expectations and requests from our members and the public to achieve our mission. Your cooperation and guidance have been greatly appreciated.
Together with our members, we will continue to develop the primary activities of JSN that former president Kashihara declared to be the basic principles: contributions to society, human resource development, further advancements in nephrology, strengthening our commitment and collaboration for social activities, and succession and innovation of the tradition.
1. Contributions to Society
The mission of the JSN is to "make contributions to society through research and promotion of nephrology and respond to the expectations of the Japanese people." The JSN has been engaged in a wide range of activities that are expanding. For various plans and new projects, it is necessary to use foresight to continue and improve the JSN's activities with a focus on the public interest.
Many of our members are at the frontline of clinical practice, dealing directly with patients and their families against kidney diseases. As an academic society, the JSN supports their daily clinical practice, consolidates and organizes various activities aimed at overcoming kidney diseases as "projects," and ultimately provides the outcomes for our members, patients, and their families, as well as society. The JSN has formulated and updated the "JSN 5-year Plan" to guide projects in an organized manner. Based on its grand design and action plan, we carry out projects. In the future, we will identify priorities as we execute our projects from the standpoint of social contribution and develop activities that are open to society.
2. Human resource development
The future of the JSN is determined by the cultivation of the next generation, who will be entrusted with it. We would like to actively recruit young and mid-level members to take on various roles that would help broaden their views through many different experiences.
Fostering diversity is essential for sound and vigorous social activities. In addition to mentioning gender equality, promoting various types of diversity, such as age, affiliation, position, and field, will strengthen the organization.
Japan's board certification system is undergoing a huge transition. This is an important system to foster competent young doctors, and we will work on solidifying the board certification system for nephrologists.
Multidisciplinary collaboration is necessary for the treatment of renal diseases. Thus, we will further improve the system for "certificated educators for kidney disease" and strengthen collaboration with related professionals, such as nurses, registered dietitians, and pharmacists, to expand the range of specialists involved in the management of kidney diseases.
3. Further advancements in nephrology
The significance of JSN's existence lies in developing the field of nephrology, which can greatly contribute to extending the healthy lifespan of patients with renal diseases in Japan and around the world. To date, the JSN has made significant achievements in CKD control; globalization activities; establishment of research foundations (e.g., registries and epidemiological studies); journal publications; JSN annual meetings; guideline development and public awareness activities. We will continue to encourage and support basic research activities; promote international academic activities; and build a multilayered database composed of J-CKD-DB at the bottom layer, and J-RBR and a biological sample DB at the upper layers to assist in the development of research conducted by our members.
4. Strengthening our commitment and collaboration for social activities
For advancements in nephrology, improvement of the quality of kidney disease treatment, and resolution of kidney diseases, it is important to continue activities for sharing issues with relevant parties in academic societies, government agencies, policy-making agencies, and other organizations. Particularly in clinical practice, it is vital to provide medical care from a patient's viewpoint and focus on their quality of life while improving their prognosis. To achieve this, the JSN needs to implement patient and public involvement. Additionally, it is important to optimize the treatment of kidney diseases in Japan with a good understanding of international standards. Thus, we will further promote international exchanges and collaborations for the proper development of nephrology and kidney disease treatment in Japan. We will continue to strengthen our collaboration with other related academic societies and reinforce our cross-disciplinary efforts.
5. Succession and innovation of the tradition
The JSN has achieved significant progress due to the outstanding leadership of its great predecessors and the management team, driven by a sense of contribution. While carrying on this tradition, the JSN intends to flexibly respond to changes in these turbulent conditions and work on resolving issues with our members to contribute to advances in medicine and medical care.