ASCI class of 2026 for leading professionals presents doctoral research

On September 24, 2026, the Asian Satellite Campuses Institute (ASCI) held a graduation event and research presentation for the six graduates of its “Transnational doctoral programs for leading professionals in Asian countries.” These programs allow professionals in government and academic positions from selected countries in Asia to earn a doctorate from Nagoya University without interrupting their careers, combining research supervision from Nagoya University faculty with local support at the satellite campuses and periodic intensive stays in Nagoya. The event took place at Nagoya University’s Asian Legal Exchange Plaza at the Higashiyama Campus and was also streamed online. 

The graduates completed doctoral degrees in law, medicine, international development, and environmental studies. 

ASCI Director Akira Yamauchi opened the event. He described the program as a loop between the local and the global, in which local issues are turned into academic knowledge that then flows back into policy and practice, and said that graduation marks not the end of the graduates’ relationship with Nagoya University but the start of a growing partnership. 

In his congratulatory remarks, President Naoshi Sugiyama thanked the supervisors and the supporters of the graduates’ scholarships. He said the program shows that international education and research is a key pillar in building a campus where everyone wants to learn and that produces global leaders, and he called ASCI graduates ambassadors of that strategy. 

Further congratulatory remarks were given by deans and vice deans of the respective graduate schools. They pointed to the graduates’ research as a contribution to a sustainable society, and to the need for people who can connect globally to address global issues. 

Representatives of the graduates’ home institutions in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Mongolia sent video messages. They described the graduates as examples of dedication and leadership, said their skills and academic perspective would be valuable for development in their countries, and expressed appreciation for Nagoya University’s support. 

After the event, the graduates shared how they found out about the program, what they learnt and what they will take back to their home country.

• Dr. Thera Khoun, a Graduate School of International Development graduate from Cambodia said he was referred to the program by a former graduate and goes back with more confidence in his abilities. 
• Dr. Kim Hoan My Lin, ASCI graduate from the School of Law from Vietnam, advised current graduate students to be patient with and dedicated to their research.
• Dr. Khonekeo Kingkhambang from Lao PDR, who graduated with a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, said he intends to share what he learned about pollution control, in both theory and practice.

Vice President Yoshiyuki Suto gave the closing remarks. 

Check out more pictures from the event below: