Some of the country’s leading lights in science and engineering trooped to the University of the Philippines Board of Regents Room in UP Diliman (UPD) to witness the renewal of UP’s academic partnership with Kogakuin University of Japan on September 18, 2018.
Represented at this event by its president, Dr. Mitsunobu Sato, Kogakuin University first signed an Academic Exchange Agreement with UP in 2013, under the term of then UP President Alfredo E. Pascual. Sato, who was the Kogakuin’s Vice President for International Relations at that time, was instrumental in paving the way for that initial partnership.
This year’s Agreement builds on the terms set five years ago and highlights the commitment of both universities to share manpower and intellectual resources. It makes possible the exchange of students, faculty members, and researchers; as well as the holding of jointly-organized symposia, lectures and research projects by UP and Kogakuin University.
With Kogakuin’s strengths being engineering, architecture and the applied sciences, distinguished engineers and scientists from UP Diliman and UP Los Baños (UPLB) were present at the launch. They included UPLB Chancellor Fernando Sanchez, UPLB Vice Chancellors Serlie Jamias and Marish Madlangbayan, UP Diliman College of Science Dean Perry Ong, UPD College of Engineering Dean Rizalinda de Leon, UPLB College of Engineering Dean Arnold Elepaño, Dr. Elmer Estacio of the National Institute of Physics, Dr. Magdaleno Vasquez of the Department of Mining Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and Dr. Simplicio Medina of the UPLB Office of International Linkages (UPLB OIL).
Representing the UP System was Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and UP Office of International Linkages Director Gil Jacinto. Reading a message on behalf of UP President Danilo L. Concepcion, Jacinto said that the renewal of the 2013 agreement was a sign of the mutual respect and friendship that both universities shared. UP, he said, looked forward to training the “globally active and ethically grounded experts” that both institutions are known for, together with their Japanese partners.
Founded in 1887 and with a main 29-storey main campus located in the heart of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, Kogakuin University is committed to creating “sustainable societies” by providing quality training for engineers and other technical experts. This partnership stands to benefit UP’s students and researchers in these areas, as it allows them the opportunity to be trained in one of Kogakuin’s 147 laboratories, which have an excellent track record in innovation and international competitions. (Andre Encarnacion, UP MPRO)
To learn more about UP’s international partnerships and scholarships, visit the UP OIL website at: http://oil.up.edu.ph
