Around the world in 27 fellows: Dr. Tomoko Fukuda

Name: Dr. Tomoko Fukuda

Home university: Ibaraki University, Japan

Host faculty: Faculty of Applied Social Sciences

Fellowship title: Comparative Study of 1. Adult Support and Protection Law Reform (Guardianship Law Reform) with a View to an Interdisciplinary Context and 2. Medical Consent and Autonomy

Duration of stay: April 1 – December 31, 2026

I was interested in the International Fellowship because...
it offered the opportunity to work closely with Professor Dagmar Brosey, one of Germany's leading experts in adult protection law. Her research has played an important role in the development and evaluation of Germany's recent reform of adult protection law, and her work has been highly influential in my own research on comparative adult guardianship law. Through this fellowship, I hoped to deepen our academic exchange and develop collaborative research between Germany and Japan.

Specifically, during the fellowship I wanted to...
conduct joint research with Professor Brosey on the implementation of Germany's recent reform of adult protection law and on legal issues surrounding medical consent and supported decision-making.

During my time in Germany, I was particularly interested in finding out...
how the recent reform of adult protection law is being implemented in practice and how legal and social work professionals cooperate to support the self-determination of people who need assistance. I also had the opportunity to participate in Professor Brosey's classes and introduce the Japanese adult guardianship system to students, which enabled valuable discussions from a comparative perspective.

I think international exchange is...
essential because many countries face similar social challenges but develop different solutions. By sharing experiences across borders, we can improve both research and practice and develop better systems for the people we serve.

Something that is different at my home university than at TH Köln is...
the way legal and social work education are closely connected. I was particularly impressed by how deeply social work students engage with legal topics and how strongly research is linked to professional practice.

What I take back to my home university is...
the importance of integrating legal education into social work education. I was especially impressed by Professor Brosey's Master's program, where students study adult protection law in considerable depth and conduct research closely connected to professional practice. In Japan, social workers have relatively limited opportunities to study law, and legal professionals are therefore often preferred over social workers in adult guardianship practice. The TH Köln program offers an inspiring model that I would like to introduce to my university and share more broadly in Japan.

What I like about TH Köln is...
its strong connection between research, teaching, and professional practice. Students are encouraged to engage with real social issues, and the university provides an excellent environment for interdisciplinary collaboration.

What I really wanted to experience in Cologne is...
the academic environment surrounding social work and adult protection law, especially the opportunity to learn from researchers, students, and practitioners working together. Beyond academia, I also enjoyed experiencing Cologne's open and international atmosphere.

About PLan_CV

The International Fellows program is part of the project PLan_CV („Professur-Laufbahn an Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften neu denken: Collaboration und Vernetzung“). Its goal: Finding excellent candidates for professorial careers at TH Köln and achieving greater permeability between the academic world and the business sector. The project’s budget of 11.7 million Euros is funded through the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space program “FH-Personal” (staff for universities of applied sciences).