Nagoya University hosted a high-level delegation from its strategic partner in Germany, the University of Freiburg, on 6 and 7 February 2025. The visit, led by Rector Kerstin Krieglstein, marked a significant step in shaping the universities' future collaboration.
The University of Freiburg delegation included Vice Rector for Internationalization and Sustainability Melanie Arndt, Head of Administration Christina Leib, as well as key researchers from the departments of medicine and economics. Nagoya University President Naoshi Sugiyama, together with Vice Presidents Norimi Mizutani (Internationalization), Koji Yamanaka (Research), and Akihiro Sasoh (Industry-Academia Collaboration), welcomed the distinguished guests on the steps of Toyoda Auditorium.
Members of the University of Freiburg's delegation pose for a photo with Nagoya University's leadership
During their two-day visit, the delegation discussed expanding academic cooperation, research collaboration, and sustainable development initiatives. Importantly, both partners pledged to leverage their long-standing international cooperation to support their respective university excellence strategies.
The meetings between both universities' leadership included the signing of an MoA to extend Nagoya University's Global Campus Preparation Office in Freiburg
Nagoya University showcased its flagship research projects, including presentations from Distinguished Professor Yusuke Yamauchi on the latest nanospace materials research, insights from the Quantum Science Innovation Center, and both universities' current mutual focus fields, medicine and sustainability. Exploring opportunities for expanded student exchange programs, in line with Nagoya University's Global Multi-Campus initiative, the delegation also toured key facilities, including the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM).
Rector Krieglstein concluded her meeting with our university's leadership with the words "this personal visit to Nagoya University confirms my belief that our close partnership is founded on the cultivation of exceptional inter-university friendship and trust, and that our many commonalities and similarities will allow us to learn from each other and grow strongly together into the future."
The collaborative relationship between Nagoya University and the University of Freiburg spans over five decades, beginning with academic exchanges in economics in 1972. The partnership has since expanded into a university-wide student exchange agreement (2001), the establishment of Nagoya University European Center (2010-2023), and a Joint Degree Program in Medicine (2018-2022; in the process of being renewed). In 2024, the universities' mutual ties reached a major milestone by signing their Strategic Partnership Agreement, together with the establishment of Nagoya University's Global Campus Preparation Office at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS). This office is a key structure in Nagoya University's plan for developing intensive on-site, hybrid, and virtual study-abroad programs.
At the new Tokai Open Innovation Complex (TOIC), Nagoya University provided room for research discussions and showcased world-class research in Quantum Science, Nanomaterials, Particle Physics, Medicine and Environmental Sciences.
The delegation visited WPI-ITbM as well as the Disaster Mitigation Center
