On August 27, 2026, Nagoya University welcomed a delegation from the University of Helsinki, Finland, to explore potential partnerships for long-term academic collaboration.
The visit grew out of an individual research connection: Kai Amino, a JSPS postdoctoral fellow at Nagoya University, spent a year at the University of Helsinki through the end of April working with Professor John Loehr, who subsequently invited Amino to jointly apply for Horizon Europe funding together with Nagoya University this spring. This visit was arranged to build on that connection and identify further areas for cooperation.
The event-packed day began with an introductory session at the Idea Stoa in the NIC. After introductory remarks by URA Naoko Ishigaki, Dr. Amino told the story of how his research collaboration began with the University of Helsinki. Following this, Professor Yasuhiko Taniguchi of the Global Multi-Campus (GMC) Institute gave an opening address, and the delegates watched a video introducing Nagoya University. This was followed by an address by Professor Makoto Kobashi, head of Academic Research & Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration, and an introduction to Nagoya University’s startup ecosystem by URA Sawako Tanaka. The delegates then proceeded for a lab tour and demonstrations at the Global Research Institute for Mobility in Society (GREMO).
To get a flavor of this startup ecosystem, two members of the Helsinki delegation, Joni Kujansuu and Kalle Toivonen, visited the on-campus research lab of TOWING, a Nagoya University startup advancing soil improvement through biochar.
After a networking lunch at the Noyori Memorial Hall, the delegation split into groups to visit different labs and research facilites around campus catered to their fields of interest, spanning information science, AI and mobility, agriculture, environment, and neuroscience.
The most exciting part of the visit was “to meet people leading very interesting projects,” said Pirta Hotulainen, a neuroscientist and innovation specialist at the University of Helsinki who hopes to develop more joint EU Horizons funding projects with Nagoya University researchers. “We already have one partnership under discussion, so I have a strong hope that we will find good partners here.”
The visit concluded with a tour of the Common Nexus facilities for the delegates.
The Finnish contingent included:
Laura Ruotsalainen (Faculty of Computer Science),
John Loehr (Faculty of Biological & Environmental Science),
Matti Kuronen (Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry),
Joni Kujansuu (Institute of Atmospheric & Earth System Research),
Kalle Toivonen (University Services, Innovation Department, Horizon EU Project Section),
Pirta Hotulainen (University Services, Innovation Department, Horizon EU Project Section),
Heli Salminen (University Services, Innovation Department, Horizon EU Project Section),
Mikael Malmivaara (Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry)
