New technologies, aging societies and increasing costs challenge health care systems all over the world. Therefore, Waseda University School of Law, one of the most prestigious law schools in Japan, invited Bucerius Law School, National University of Taiwan, Seoul National University and the University of Pennsylvania to the Waseda Transnational Program 2017 – from 6 to 10 March – in order to discuss the most urgent questions in the field of medicine and law.
Prof. Jens Prütting addressed the German understanding of patient rights and the importance and scope of autonomy in German medical law. His vivid presentation encouraged both students and professors to passionately debate the promotion of self-determination and paternalism. Bucerius students Beatrice Kimmig and Friederike Welskop (LL.B. 2013) took the discussion further with presentations on assisted suicide and compulsory vaccination.
Since the field of medicine and law offers an infinite range of interesting topics, it was no surprise that the following lectures and discussions were highly diverse. The participants not only learned about liability for malpractice and administrative compensation for medical injuries in the different countries, but also about surrogate motherhood, problems related to competition in the health care business, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, organ donation and public health insurance.
Workshops about the current practice of assisted reproductive technology and medical malpractice disputes in Japan enriched the professional discourse.
A trip to Japan’s most innovative hospital at the seaside – Kameda Medical Center in Kamogawa – was a special highlight of the program and proved not only that Japan’s health care system is one of the best, but also showed how medical treatment can develop in the future.
