A LASTING SYMBOL OF PARTNERSHIP: ONEHEALTH FOUNDATION RETURNS TO THE ODATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Chairman Dr. Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa presents a commemorative artwork and renews cooperation in healthcare, education, and responsible human-resource development between Vietnam and Japan

As part of its official working visit to Japan, the OneHealth Foundation delegation visited the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Akita Prefecture, continuing a relationship established through exchanges and human-resource cooperation activities initiated in 2024.

During the visit, Dr. Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa, Ph.D., Chairman of OneHealth Foundation, met with Mr. Kenji Shirakawa (白川懸士), Chairman—or Kaito—of the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mr. Kudatsu Miura (三浦功達), Vice Chairman of the Chamber.

Mr. Shirakawa is publicly identified as the current Chairman of the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Chamber represents Odate’s business community and supports regional economic development, cooperation among enterprises, and engagement with domestic and international partners.

A Painting Representing Compassion, Altruism, and Felicity

During the official meeting, Dr. Khoa presented Chairman Shirakawa with a commemorative painting expressing the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

The artwork reflects OneHealth Foundation’s three guiding principles:

Compassion – Altruism – Felicity

The painting depicts a peaceful Vietnamese streetscape, accompanied by the national flags of Vietnam and Japan and the OneHealth Foundation identity. It represents friendship, cultural understanding, mutual respect, and the shared aspiration to create meaningful opportunities for communities in both countries.

For OneHealth Foundation, the presentation was more than a ceremonial exchange. It demonstrated the Foundation’s belief that international partnerships should be built upon human connection, trust, and shared responsibility.

Art can serve as a bridge between cultures. It can communicate values that extend beyond language and create a lasting reminder of the purpose behind institutional cooperation.

A Gift from 2024 Remains on Display

One of the most meaningful moments of the return visit occurred when the delegation saw that an artwork previously presented by Dr. Khoa during the 2024 cooperation program had been carefully preserved and displayed in the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s official meeting room.

The earlier painting, featuring elegant floral imagery, was presented during a visit associated with human-resource cooperation activities involving Japanese partners, representatives connected with Japan’s Parliament, and the Noshiro Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Its continued display in the Chamber’s meeting room is a visible symbol of the relationship between OneHealth Foundation and its partners in Akita Prefecture.

The presence of the artwork demonstrates that the cooperation established in 2024 was not regarded as a temporary exchange. Instead, it has become part of the continuing relationship between the participating organizations.

During the visit, Dr. Khoa, Chairman Shirakawa, and Vice Chairman Miura stood together beside the displayed painting, marking the progress achieved since the original exchange and reaffirming their commitment to future collaboration.

Building on the 2024 Human-Resource Cooperation Initiative

The return visit followed a human-resource cooperation initiative announced in 2024 involving OneHealth Foundation and the Noshiro Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported that the initiative was designed to connect healthcare and nursing students from Vietnam with internship opportunities offered by elderly-care organizations in the Noshiro and Odate areas. The program was structured as an educational internship arrangement involving participating institutions rather than as a conventional labor-intermediation model.

The initiative recognizes the complementary strengths of Vietnam and Japan.

Vietnam has a young and developing healthcare workforce, including students and professionals interested in nursing, elderly care, medical services, and international professional experience. Japan has extensive knowledge in elderly-care operations, community-based care, healthcare management, workforce training, and services for an aging population.

By connecting these strengths, the cooperation seeks to create opportunities that are educationally meaningful, professionally responsible, and beneficial to both Vietnamese participants and Japanese communities.

Promoting a Responsible Cooperation Model

OneHealth Foundation believes that international human-resource cooperation must be based on dignity, transparency, appropriate preparation, and mutual benefit.

The Foundation’s approach emphasizes:

• Professional and educational development for participating students
• Japanese-language and cultural preparation before departure
• Clearly defined internship responsibilities and learning objectives
• Appropriate supervision and support in Japan
• Fair and transparent cooperation among institutions
• Protection of participants’ welfare and legitimate interests
• Knowledge exchange between Vietnamese and Japanese professionals
• Long-term relationships between educational institutions, healthcare providers, businesses, and communities

This model reflects the wider purpose of OneHealth Foundation: to connect healthcare, education, and social impact through partnerships that generate sustainable benefits.

Connecting Regional Business Leadership with Social Impact

The participation of the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry is particularly important because chambers of commerce serve as a bridge between local businesses, community institutions, public authorities, and international partners.

The Odate Chamber describes itself as a regional economic organization working to advance commerce and industry while contributing to the welfare of the wider community. It also identifies international engagement as one of the important characteristics of the chamber system.

Through cooperation with OneHealth Foundation, the relationship can extend beyond human-resource placement to include:

• Healthcare and elderly-care education
• Professional internships and practical training
• Institutional exchange between Vietnam and Japan
• Community integration and cultural understanding
• Healthcare workforce development
• Business and social-enterprise cooperation
• Regional revitalization initiatives
• Long-term employment and professional-development pathways

Such cooperation can help Japanese regional communities address workforce needs while providing Vietnamese participants with structured opportunities to gain international experience and professional knowledge.

Renewing the Friendship Between Vietnam and Japan

The official return visit to the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry represented an important continuation of the relationship established in 2024.

The presentation of a new painting symbolized the next chapter of cooperation, while the continued display of the earlier artwork demonstrated that the friendship created during the original visit remains valued and remembered.

OneHealth Foundation expresses its sincere appreciation to Chairman Kenji Shirakawa, Vice Chairman Kudatsu Miura, the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Noshiro Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and all participating Japanese partners for their warm hospitality and continued commitment to cooperation.

Guided by Compassion, Altruism, and Felicity, OneHealth Foundation will continue developing partnerships that connect people, institutions, and communities across borders.

Through responsible cooperation in healthcare, education, human-resource development, and cultural exchange, the Foundation seeks to contribute to an enduring relationship between Vietnam and Japan—one founded not only on shared interests, but also on friendship, respect, and a commitment to creating opportunities for future generations.

Dr. Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa, Ph.D. (right), Chairman of OneHealth Foundation, presents a commemorative Vietnam–Japan painting to Mr. Kenji Shirakawa (left), Chairman of the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during the Foundation delegation’s official return visit to Akita Prefecture, Japan.

From left: Mr. Kudatsu Miura, Vice Chairman of the Odate Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr. Kenji Shirakawa, Chairman of the Chamber; and Dr. Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa, Ph.D., Chairman of OneHealth Foundation. The group stands beside an artwork presented by Dr. Khoa during the 2024 cooperation program, which is now displayed in the Chamber’s official meeting room as a lasting symbol of Vietnam–Japan collaboration.