Nagoya University and the University of Freiburg jointly run the International Collaborative Program in Comprehensive Medical Science — a doctoral program that awards a single, jointly conferred degree. It is designed to cultivate the next generation of research leaders: scholars with deep expertise, high ethical standards, a strong international outlook and an interdisciplinary mind, able to lead international collaborations and act as a bridge between the EU and Japan.
Program highlights:
- A single joint degree from both universities Graduates receive a Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.), conferred as a single degree under the jointly established PhD program of the two universities. The degree examination is held jointly, only once, at the student’s principal university — there is no need to be examined separately at each institution.
- A small, focused cohort Two students are admitted each year: one enrolling at Nagoya University and one at the University of Freiburg.
- A 12-month research stay abroad Students normally spend 12 months at the partner university during the second year of the PhD, working under their supervisors at both universities (extendable up to 30 months where the research requires it).
- A rich learning environment Through Freiburg’s Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), students can take part in monthly reunions, annual retreats and interdisciplinary Oberseminars (literature seminars), broadening their perspective well beyond their own specialty.
- Completion requirements A four-year curriculum, 12 months at the partner university, at least 30 credits, and at least one first-author article published in an internationally recognized journal.
Applicants are expected to have strong English proficiency (TOEFL iBT 100 or IELTS Academic 7.0 preferred). The program is open primarily to graduates of the Nagoya University School of Medicine or the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Medicine, and in exceptional cases, to holders of master’s degrees in fields such as engineering, agriculture or medicine (refer to the official program homepage below).
Prospective students interested in joining the program through Freiburg are encouraged to make their inquiries directly with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg.
For full details and application procedures, please see the official program website.
- International Collaborative Program in Comprehensive Medical Science (Nagoya–Freiburg):
https://www.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp/jdp/en/freiburg/
