On March 12, 2024, Ritsumeikan University and the University of Medical Sciences of Havana concluded an academic exchange agreement at a signing ceremony held at Hotel Meliá Cohíba in Havana, Cuba. Associate Professor Hanako Suzuki of the College of Comprehensive Psychology attended the ceremony as the representative of Ritsumeikan. The two universities will collaborate on psychology research focused on the topic of well-being.

The University of Medical Sciences of Havana was established in 1976 in Cuba to train highly specialized personnel in the field of medicine.

Associate Professor Suzuki is a member of the International Research Networks, a group of international collaborative networks accredited by the World Education Research Forum, and she conducts research on social emotional learning (SEL), or learning that takes into account socio-cultural contexts.

Ritsumeikan entered into this agreement drawing on suggestion proposed to Associate Professor Suzuki in the course of her international joint research, and it will afford the university with opportunities to foray into new research with counterparts from the University of Medical Sciences of Havana. Going forward, Associate Professor Suzuki plans to conduct further research on well-being that takes into account various cultural backgrounds and contexts.

Psychology is the study of the human mind and behavior, but it has developed mainly in the West. Given that people live in societies and interact with the people and societies around them, I believe it is important to consider the socio-cultural context of each region and incorporate the worldviews that are rooted in each place into one’s research. First and foremost, I am interested the shape that well-being takes when viewed in the context of each region. The world faces many challenges today, and I hope to engage in research that will promote the mental health of each and every one of us that lives in this world.