Infectious diseases pay no heed to national borders. Mankind has always been threatened by zoonoses, such as influenza, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, SARS, tuberculosis and prion diseases. As seen with the emergence and pandemic of the swine-originating H1N1 flu virus in 2009 and the enterohemorrhagic E. coli (O104) crisis of 2011, it is not possible to predict outbreaks of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases. The 2010 outbreak of a foot-and-mouth disease highlighted the tremendous effects that trans-border infectious diseases in animals have on society and the threat they pose to the supply of animal protein.

Human/animal health and ecosystems are threatened not only by biohazards (such as infectious disease-causing pathogens and microbial toxins) but also by hazards from chemicals discharged into the environment as a result of man's production activities. These hazards include poisonous metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, pollutants such as DDT, PCB and dioxins, and emerging pollutants contained in flame-retardants and surfactants known to have caused global-scale contamination. People living today's modern lifestyles of convenience have a duty to pass safe living environments on to future generations.Infectious diseases and health hazards from chemicals are often activated at the interface between humans and animals, only manifesting themselves after they have gradually spread. To protect our environment from hazards and realize the One World - One Health ideal, it is imperative to detect minute changes and abnormalities at this interface so that appropriate preventive measures can be taken. In light of this, contributions from veterinary medicine and veterinarians, who carry a responsibility to ensure the health of animals and people alike, are now needed on a global scale to support the soundness of ecosystems and health.

The Fostering Global Leaders in Veterinary Science for Contribution to One Health program includes two courses for expert training in zoonotic disease control and chemical hazards at Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine. On these courses, postgraduate education is provided to support the development of leaders with outstanding expertise who can exercise leadership in promoting education and research in their specialized fields and in taking necessary measureswhile holistically understanding problems and issues that need to be addressed. In addition to the education and training provided on these courses, efforts will be made toward the development of an education system benefitting from global-scale industry-university-government collaboration.Accordingly, postgraduate education will be further advanced and the development of future global leaders will be promoted.

• Expert in zoonotic disease control
• Expert in the control of chemical hazard

The university provides outstanding educational resources and an international framework for practical field-oriented education via two courses for expert training in the control of zoonotic diseases and chemical hazards.

The university operates a reformed system of graduate school education to attract a wide diversity of outstanding students and support the development of future global leaders based on the following efforts:

1. Provision of a special admissions quota to attract graduates from a variety of countries and backgrounds, and improvement of financial support through grant programs
2. Enhancement of education in the fundamentals of veterinary science to give postgraduates extensive knowledge as a base for the development of holistic viewpoints
3. Adoption of academic English language education to help improve postgraduates' command of English
4. Introduction of practical epidemiology training and joint research abroad to improve postgraduates' skills in applying their expertise to practical needs overseas
5. Utilization of international/domestic internship systems to help students gain work experience and pursue career paths overseas
6. Introduction of various programs that encourage students to be more proactive and aware of their responsibilities as experts
7. Careful guidance and transparent examination for high-quality doctor theses