International Exchanges

President Sakimoto and Acting Vice-Chancellor Ian Warrington of Massey University signed the academic agreement.

Kumamoto University signed an academic agreement with the University of Newcastle, located in Callaghan, Australia, on July 8, 2008 and Massey University, located in Palmerston North, New Zealand on July 10, 2008.
The University of Newcastle is one of the most advanced universities in Australia. Kumamoto University renewed the student exchange agreement in October 2006, which had first concluded in 1986. For more than 20 years, each university has been actively participating in student exchanges. In May 2007, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle visited Kumamoto University and discussed the possibilities of collaboration of research projects especially in the fields of Engineering and Medical Sciences. In July 2008, Dr. Sakimoto, President of Kumamoto University, visited the University of Newcastle and discussed the research projects. During the discussions, both parties agreed to conclude and sign an agreement.
Massey University is also one of the most renowned universities in New Zealand. Kumamoto University renewed the student exchange agreement in June 2006, which had first concluded in 1996. Kumamoto University has expected to continue with these outstanding universities inn New Zealand. Massey University and Kumamoto University came to an academic agreement and, in July 2008, Dr. Sakimoto, President of Kumamoto University, visited Massey University and signed it.
These exchange agreements are expected to help promote active academic collaborations between the universities.


Since April 2006, Kumamoto University has been participating in a four-year project with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) called the "Technical Cooperation Project for Research and Education Development on Information and Communication Technology at the Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember (PREDICT-ITS). " The Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) is located in Surabaya, and is one of the leading academic institutes in the fields of Engineering in Indonesia. With this collaboration between Kumamoto University and the ITS, this project aims to further promote manufacturing industries and applications of Information and Communication Technology to local communities in the eastern part of Indonesia, through advance human resource development.
In 2008, we will also conduct Kumamoto University Forum in Surabaya with the collaboration of the ITS, along with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of friendship between Japan and Indonesia.
Expected outcomes of PREDICT-ITS
(1) The strengthened of research to the international level.
(2) Transformation of graduate school education from classroom-based to lab-based
(3) The establishment of inter-university links in the eastern part of Indonesia.
(4) The establishment of industry-university links
In addition, Kumamoto University agreed a two-year project with JICA that will run from September 2008 to March 2010. This project will be conducted in English, to nurture administrative and technical officials of national and local governments of developing countries, and to accept them as trainees. These are persons in charge of personnel training departments in their countries. We will train them to plan and make materials for e-learning education in the field of Instructional Systems, focusing on Instructional Design. The final goal of this program is to obtain a Master’s Degree in the Instructional Systems.

President Sakimoto had a keynote speech in the Yellow Sea Rim University Presidents’ Forum.

The Kumamoto University Forum was held in Kumamoto on November 29 and 30, 2007. The Forum has been held in Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai and Daejeon, Korea previously, and this was its fifth incarnation. In the Forum, panel displays of research projects and introductions of corporations, as well lectures presentations were conducted. Approximately 250 invited officials from Chinese and Korean universities, Kumamoto University teaching staff and administrative staff, and students participated in the forum. In 2008, we will hold the Kumamoto University Forum in Surabaya, Indonesia, in collaboration with The Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember, a partner exchange university in Indonesia.
Prior to the implementation of the Kumamoto University Forum, Kumamoto University hosted the Yellow Sea Rim University Presidents’ Forum from November 26 to 28, which has been conducted since 2005. The Presidents’ Forum is a part of the Yellow Sea Rim Economic and Technological Conference that has been held since 2001, owing to collaboration between national governmental organizations of Japan (METI Kyushu), China (MOFCOM) and Korea (MOCIE). Previously, the Presidents’ Forum was conducted in Korea (2005), and in China (2006). This was the first time it was held in Japan. It is expected to contribute to University-Government-Industry collaborations among the three countries.


Kumamoto University conducted the Kumamoto University Summer Program 2008 between July 28 and August 8, 2008. This program started in 2007 and is open to students from exchange partner universities in Asia. This program aims to provide Asian students who wish to study in Japan with the chance to experience the Japanese language and culture.
As part of the program, students received various lectures in basic Japanese in the fields of the Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Medical Sciences, and a variety of Japanese cultural experiences and company tours. This year, approximately 30 students from China and Korea participated in the program, and offered mostly favorable reviews of their experience.