On behalf of my colleagues at Niigata University of Health and Welfare, I am very pleased to welcome you to our University. The University was established in 2001 to train future health professionals in the field of health and social welfare sciences. Currently more than 4,000 graduates are working, not only in Japan but also in foreign countries, as "QOL (quality of life) supporters" involved in the care of the elderly, patients undergoing medical treatment, and the handicapped. Fostering "qualified QOL supporters" has been our school's major emphasis since its foundation