Prof. Angela Abela from the Department of Child & Family Studies was invited by Toyo University and the Metropolitan University of Tokyo to give the introductory keynote presentation at an international symposium held in Tokyo on the construction of co-parenting during the transition to parenthood in Finland, Portugal and Japan. The keynote, which was delivered on 20 September, was entitled 'Co-parenting and the Ethics of Care in the 21st Century: Current Trends in Europe'.

Prof. Anna Ronka, from Yvaskyla University, Finland, Prof. Kaisa Malinen from the Applied University in Finland, Prof. Marisa Mattias from the University of Porto, Portugal  and Prof. Chino Yabunago from Toyo University in Tokyo presented their crossnational research. 

Three professors from Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Osaka University, and Osaka Metropolitan University with expertise in fatherhood, gender, maternity nursing and midwifery acted as discussants. Prof. Diasuke Ito from the Metropolitan University of Tokyo chaired the discussion.