Could you please introduce GAME?

GAME stands for Global Alliance of Medical Excellence. It’s an international joint research platform for promoting innovative medical education and conducting influential research at medical schools on various continents. Currently, the membership consists of eight prestigious medical schools from around the world.

How did KU College of Medicine come to establish GAME?

Every time we visit different universities, we see the great need for international joint research. When the President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Dean of the College of Medicine met in KU, while we were talking about joint research between the medical schools of the two universities, we decided to create an international platform for joint medical research by connecting premier universities on different continents.

What activities are carried out in GAME?

On a regular basis, we have conferences for the deans and faculty members of the participating institutions and summer schools for students. In addition, we often have online sessions for the discussion of clinical cases. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, we held summer schools at the University of Münich last year and at KU this year. When each university announces a research topic, researchers from the various universities are connected, and joint research is conducted by full-time faculty members as well as graduate students. Different countries have differing approaches and experiences, and the combination of these perspectives provides very interesting and beneficial research experiences.

Is the KU College of Medicine playing an important role?

The Third Annual Meeting hosted by KU was considered a revitalizing meeting for GAME. The participants were impressed by the healthcare and medical capabilities of KU and Korea, and they showed much interest in our culture. The Transnational Educational Initiatives (TEI) project, organized by KU, is an event in which all the member universities participate, and it constitutes a driving force for GAME.

Logos of the eight member universities of GAME (as of October 2023)
Korea - Korea University; Hong Kong – The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Italy – University of Bologna; Japan – Nagoya University; Australia – Monash University; Germany – Ludwig Maximilian University of Münich; the Netherlands – Erasmus University Rotterdam; UK – University of Nottingham

What are GAME’s achievements?

First, we have gained invaluable experiences. The entire College of Medicine has acquired a highly global mindset which it puts into practice. We have conducted various collaborative research projects, in this way continuously producing accomplishments. We are also forming an international interdisciplinary research team. Our students have more opportunities to obtain international experiences, and the global awareness rank of the College of Medicine has been upgraded. We have also invited the GAME member institutions to the international conferences organized by KU, extending the scope of the events convened by the College of Medicine.

What do you think are the rewards of GAME’s activities?

GAME is a closely consultative organization in which participating institutions have deep understanding of each other. We respect cultural diversity and the exchange of perspectives continuously stimulates new strands of thought among all of us. When we visit other universities, we have seen them hosting events with all their hearts, and so we learn how much importance they assign to networking. The professors of the universities, although they are busy, spend time discussing various issues and being generous with their time with younger generations. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we had Zoom meetings and felt closeness and fellowship with each other. My heart was really touched when I received handwritten letters from students who participated in the summer schools.

What do you anticipate will emerge from GAME?

First and foremost, the goal is to maintain international commitment to the conduct of world class collaborative research. We hope that the graduate and undergraduate students who get involved can also acquire the capabilities to play a role in solving international medical problems through the advantages that this network provides. Furthermore, we are sure that the international reputation of our College of Medicine will be consistently elevated on the basis of our research excellence. I’d like to highlight that the College of Medicine is making various efforts to help all the members to work globally by recognizing and embracing diversity, and we are actually enjoying substantial accomplishments.