Greeting from the President
On educating young researchers and achieving internationalization

I assumed the office of President of the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID) in May. My term is from May 2008 to December 2011. From 2005, I served as the Secretary General of the JSID under Professor Shinji Shimada, the former President, and I worked to organize the International Investigative Dermatology 2008 (IID2008). Professor Shimada and I are happy to have successfully completed the IID2008. I believe that the success of that event contributed to firmly establishing the status of the JSID in the arena of international investigative dermatological science. I would like to express my gratitude to the SID and the ESDR for their cooperation in seven intersociety meetings during two years.
My term as President falls between the IID2008 and the IID2013, which means that my tasks are to bolster the JSID until the IID2013 and to further improve the international status and research level of the JSID. To realize these two goals, I will continue the fostering and education of young researchers and the internationalization of the organization during my term.
Regarding the first goal, the present situation is that fewer young dermatologists pursue research at Japan's universities, because the Postgraduate Physician Training System has been greatly changed, and as a result many young doctors have been leaving universities after graduation as a result. It is impossible for the JSID to totally change its doctor education system. What the JSID can do is to provide young doctors with opportunities for contact with dermatology, to interest them in dermatology, and to offer useful information that will lead to their becoming excellent dermatologists. Fortunately, Professor Hiroshi Shimizu of Hokkaido University, our new Secretary-General, has an exceptional talent for realizing this goal. We have endeavored to establish the Committee to Foster Young Researchers in the JSID. The committee plans to hold annual seminars for young doctors throughout Japan who would like to apply themselves to dermatological science.
With respect to the second goal of internationalization, I would say that the JSID's status as an international organization has been firmly established. The JSID held the IID2008, which greatly promoted the internationalization of the JSID. We will further promote our international relationship with the SID, ESDR and the other neighboring Asian organizations, and further improve our JSID annual meetings from the viewpoint of internationalization.
The JSID is an academic society that promotes excellent research in dermatological science. We place first priority on the improvement of our research capabilities. It is always a pleasure to see our members' exceptional research being published. At the same time, our society should be open to non-researcher dermatologists. To support them, we have given opportunities to present deeply studied cases, in the Investigative Case Presentation category, at our recent annual meetings. I hope this will be a breakthrough and encourage increasing numbers of dermatologists to participate in the annual meetings of the JSID, whose presentations are generally considered to be highly specialized.
Secretary-General, Hiroshi Shimizu, and I will be pleased if you would lend us your generous assistance.

Yoshiki Tokura, President, the JSID
University of Occupational and Environmental Health