From July 8th to 13th 2023, President Kohno visited Kenya to attend the signing ceremony for the renewal of the academic exchange agreement with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and to pay courtesy visits to universities in Kenya with which our university has cooperative relations, as well as to JICA.
On July 10th, President Kohno paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Iwama, Director of JICA Kenya Office. He expressed gratitude for the support to Nagasaki University’s activities in Kenya and conveyed expectations for continued collaboration in initiatives such as SATREPS, grassroots technical cooperation, and hosting long-term trainees. Subsequently, he visited Kenyatta University and paid a courtesy visit to Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul K Wainaina. In addition to Prof. Wainaina, the head of the university’s research division and the head of the academic exchange division also participated in the visit.
Discussions were held on further student exchange and faculty training between Nagasaki University and Kenyatta University, among other topics related to future collaborations. Dr. Mildred Nawiri, the academic exchange officer of Kenyatta University, also accompanied them on a campus tour. President Kono also had a meeting with two graduate students from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences who are studying at the university and offered words of encouragement.
In addition to President Kohno,Prof. Osamu Kaneko, Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Prof. Satoshi Kaneko, Special Advisor to the President and Director of the Kenya Project Base, and Prof. Koichi Morita, Director of the Infectious Disease Research Dockyard, along with other faculty members, attended from our university.
Following an opening address by Director Elijah Songok, President Kohno delivered a speech, followed by speeches from Member of Parliament Kunimitsu and Ambassador Okaniwa. The academic exchange agreement with KEMRI, signed for the fourth time since its initial establishment in 2004, was marked by presentations by faculty and researchers from both Nagasaki University and KEMRI, showcasing their achievements and future prospects in joint research and human resource development projects, indicating possibilities for further cooperation expansion.
On July 13th, President Kohno paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Eng B.W. Ikua, Vice Chancellor of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, which engages in student exchange under the university’s global expansion initiative, “Strategic Joint Education Program towards Planetary Health (PHASE Program)”.
The university maintains a strong relationship with the AFRICA-ai-JAPAN Project (a JICA technical cooperation project) and currently accepts one student each in the Faculty of Engineering (master’s program) and the Graduate School of Engineering (doctoral program) through the JICA scholarship program. Professors Chiya Yoshian and Daisaku Sakaguchi from the Faculty of Engineering are involved in training within this project, and discussions were held on potential further cooperation.
On the same day, President Kohno paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Rose Nyabanda, Deputy Hospital Director of Kenyatta National Hospital, where medical students undergo advanced clinical training. He expressed gratitude for the support and assistance in hosting our university students, exchanged opinions on the training of medical personnel and clinical research initiatives, and renewed the commitment to further deepen the exchange in the future.
Ambassador’s Residence Dinner Event
