◆Philippine Governor Melcho Diclas and others paid a courtesy visit to President Ukita.
Release Date:
On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a delegation led by Governor Melcho Declas of Benguet Province, Philippines, paid a visit to Hiroyuki Uketani, President of Kochi University.
Benguet Province is located in the rugged mountainous region of northern Luzon and is known for its agriculture, particularly the cultivation of highland vegetables. It established a sister-province relationship with Kochi Prefecture in 1975, and exchanges have continued over the years, including the dispatch of trainees and technical interns in the agricultural sector.
Governor Melcho Declas and his delegation have been visiting Kochi Prefecture since Sunday, July 13, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sister-state agreement. This courtesy visit was arranged because our university signed an academic exchange agreement with Benguet State University, located in that province, on Monday, February 17.
On the day of the event, President Uchida stated that it was an honor to sign an agreement with Benguet State University as a partner in glocal collaboration during the 50th anniversary year of the prefecture-state sisterhood partnership, and that he hoped this visit would serve as a meaningful opportunity for friendly exchange.
Next, Governor Melcho Declas expressed his gratitude for the welcome, and the two sides exchanged views on future cooperation.
Representatives from our university reported that a project led by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences—aimed at building a multicultural society—led to the signing of an agreement with the state university.
It was noted that while the university, located in Benguet Province, has developed primarily in the field of agriculture, it is currently expanding its academic programs—including the establishment of a medical school—and that this is expected to foster exchanges across a wider range of fields.
This was a valuable opportunity that is expected to help promote future exchanges between the two prefectures through inter-university collaboration.
