Symposium theme
　COVID-19 has been causing a devastating impact worldwide. However, the mortality rates were significantly different between countries.
Generally, the mortality rates were lower in Asian countries than in the United States and European high-income countries.
Various factors might be involved in such differences between Eastern and Western countries,
but the exact reason is still unknown. It is critical to understand these factors to prepare for future pandemics.
The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Tohoku University organize a joint symposium on COVID-19
to discuss COVID-19 responses in Eastern and Western countries from different perspectives.

　In the lecture session, we'll invite two keynote speakers:
- Dr Dean Jamison, a professor emeritus at UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences,
who has also worked at the World Bank, and
- Dr Julian Tang, a professor, at the University of Leicester, UK, who specialises in respiratory viruses particularly
focusing on airborne infections and has published papers on the COVID-19 response in various countries.

　Prof. Hitoshi Oshitani (Graduate School of Medicine, TU) and Prof. Hiroo Sato (Graduate School of Arts and Letters, TU) will also give talks at the symposium.
Please join us!