◆ We held an online signing ceremony for an academic exchange agreement with Benguet State University (Philippines)

Release Date:February 21, 2025

　On Monday, February 17, 2025, we held an online signing ceremony for an academic exchange agreement with Benguet State University (Philippines).
　Benguet State University is a comprehensive university located in Benguet Province on the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines. It traces its origins to an agricultural school established in 1916 and was founded as a state university in 1986. It comprises 15 Facultyand one Graduate School, and has a student body of approximately 10,000.
　Exchanges with our university began as a result of a project related to the creation of a multicultural society led by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Benguet Province established a sister-prefecture/state partnership with Kochi Prefecture in 1975 and has been sending trainees and technical interns to Kochi Prefecture for many years. It is one of the primary survey and research sites for the project led by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the two universities have decided to sign an agreement to further advance systematic international joint research in the future.
　Representing our university at the event were President Hiroyuki Ueda, Executive Director Takatoshi Endo (in charge of General Affairs, Planning, and Crisis Management), and Kazuyuki Iwasa, Director of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Representing Benguet State University were President Kenneth A. Laruan, Vice President Roscinto Ian C. Lumbres, and Director of the International Office Rex John G. Bawang.In addition, Dr. Cheryll Launio visited our university to facilitate the joint research projects following the signing and attended the signing ceremony.
At the signing ceremony, following the singing of the national anthems and welcoming remarks, the specific background leading to the agreement was explained. After both university presidents expressed their hopes for promoting inter-university exchange based on this agreement, the Academic Exchange Agreement was signed. With the signing of this agreement, further promotion of exchange between the two universities is anticipated.