On May 28, 2025, a delegation of 43 senior representatives from the University of the Philippines (UP) visited Nagoya University to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions and develop a roadmap for deepening their academic and research partnership.
UP President Angelo Jimenez led the delegation, which featured members of the Board of Regents, the highest decision-making body of the University of the Philippines. The group also included vice presidents and chancellors from some of the UP constituent universities: UP Los Baños Chancellor Jose Camacho Jr., UP Visayas Chancellor Clement Camposano, UP Open University Chancellor Joane Serrano, and UP Baguio Chancellor Joel Addawe. Several faculty members and staff joined the delegation as well. A meeting of this scale was unprecedented between Nagoya University and the University of the Philippines. "The reason we brought in a very strong delegation is that we want to send a very strong message," said President Jimenez. "We are serious about being a global university."
Creating a New Forum for Academic Collaboration
Following a courtesy call to Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS) Chancellor Seiichi Matsuo and Nagoya University President Naoshi Sugiyama by UP President Angelo Jimenez together with the UP Board of Regents and the Presidential Advisory Council, the entire delegation gathered for the inaugural "Nagoya University-University of the Philippines Academic Leaders' Forum on the Internationalization of Higher Education."
THERS Chancellor Matsuo and Nagoya University President Sugiyama welcomed the delegation alongside opening remarks from UP President Jimenez and Jerome John Castro, Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of the Philippine Consulate General in Nagoya.
One of the most anticipated events was the keynote speech by Nobel laureate Dr. Hiroshi Amano, titled "Toward Sustainable Electronics: Nurturing the Next Generation of Innovators." In addition to describing his recent research, Professor Amano discussed a unique training program at Nagoya University designed to reduce the time required to bring new innovations to market. Following his speech, Nagoya University Vice President Norimi Mizutani and UP Vice President Leo Cubillan presented on internationalization initiatives at their respective universities.
The delegation then leveraged its varied expertise to organize a panel discussion exploring ways of diversifying the academic disciplines within the partnership. Moderated by Dr. Hiroki Tanikawa (Dean, Nagoya University Graduate School of Environmental Studies) and UP Vice President Marian Coquia-Regidor, the panelists included Dr. Norimi Mizutani (Nagoya University Vice President), Dr. Ichiro Tersaki (Nagoya University Vice President), Dr. Joel Addawe (UP Baguio Chancellor), Dr. Clement Camposano (UP Visayas Chancellor), and Dr. Joane Serrano (UP Open University Chancellor).
In their joint presentation of the Nagoya University-University of the Philippines Roadmap for International Partnership, UP Los Baños Vice Chancellor Nathaniel Bantayan and Nagoya University Vice President Mizutani emphasized the importance of breaking down research silos. The two universities hope to work toward a "whole-of-institution" approach, creating a framework for interdisciplinary research that addresses global challenges.
Exploring New Opportunities for Exchange
Another highlight of the visit was the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement on the NU-UP Joint Research Scholarship for UP Faculty Members and Research, Extension, and Professional Services (REPS) staff.
In the afternoon, the delegation toured key research facilities on campus, including the 2008 Nobel Prize Exhibition Hall, N2U-Bridge, the Global Research Institute for Mobility in Society (GREMO), the Coastal Engineering Laboratory, and the Disaster Mitigation Research Center. Meeting with researchers at various facilities on campus served as a first step toward expanding the partnership in ways that create long-term value for faculty, students, and the broader academic community.
The delegation's visit also celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Nagoya University Satellite Campus at UP Los Baños. Reflecting on the success of the partnership, UP President Jimenez noted, "When you say 'first,' you are suggesting a 'second'" and expressed his willingness to host a similar delegation from Nagoya University at the University of the Philippines. "The most important thing is to build trust," echoed Nagoya University President Sugiyama in his closing remarks, "and we can do that by meeting regularly."
As Nagoya University and the University of the Philippines continue to forge stronger bonds, this partnership is building the foundation for breakthrough discoveries that could earn global recognition.
