The 54th Japan Workshop "Current Life-Threatening Infections and Medical Countermeasures" was held in Tokyo on May 29-30 at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine and on June 1-2 in University of Niigata. Academician Oleg Kiselev , Director of the Institute of Influenza, RAMS, Vladimir Molochnyy , Rector of Far-Eastern Medical University and many other leading scientists from Russia and Japan took part in the event. In Niigata, Dr.T. Nakayama, President of the Japan-Russia Medical Exchange Foundation, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, gave the opening remark address.

A total of 36 people participated in the event including 7 experts invited by ISTC and 12 young doctors from Medical Universities and Research Centers in Siberia and far-eastern region (Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok). The main purpose of the meeting was to share experience of each Institute from Russia in the field of infectious diseases, and promote further collaboration between Japan and Russian Institutes.

The status of Russian research in the field of infectious diseases is not well known in Japan. This workshop was a unique opportunity to introduce the subject to Japanese researchers. 

This workshop will be a trigger to initiate new collaboration between Japan and Russia.