Ho Chi Minh City Office 10th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony in Vietnam

The Ho Chi Minh City Office of the University of Tsukuba 10th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony was held at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City, Socialist Republic of Vietnam) on February 22.

The office was opened as the second international office of the University of Tsukuba in August 2009. Since the opening of the office, the exchange between Vietnam and our university has dramatically increased.

The president of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP) who kindly offered the venue, and the attendees from 23 partner universities and organizations in Vietnam and from Taiwan, the total of 4 faculties of National Cheng Kung University including the president attended.

In attendance at the meeting from our university were a total of 46 faculties and staff including President Kyosuke Nagata, Vice President Yasunori Kanaho (Collaborative Research), Dr. Mitsuyasu Kato, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and 15 graduate students of the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences attending the Experimental Course held in the same period at Ho Chi Minh City, with a total attendees of 120.

President Nagata summarized the exchange history in his speech for the 10th Anniversary ceremony that he visited Ho Chi Minh City as a member of a delegation of the University of Tsukuba in 2005 before being named president, and exchange students of the University of Tsukuba to Vietnam have been extremely increased from around zero till the office open.

After a coffee break in the second session, a keynote speech titled "Initiative for "Cybernic City" -Smart City that induces Innovation for Aging Society-" was delivered by Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai, Executive Research Director at the Center for Cybernics Research (Faculty of Engineering, Information and Systems) and demonstrate Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) in the first time in Vietnam that attracted attendees.

Subsequently, President Tran Diep Tuan of UMP, President Huey-Jen Jenny Sue of National Cheng Kung University and President Nagata of the University of Tsukuba placed panel discussion with exchanging the vision on Cybernic City, further exchange and other issues.

In the afternoon after the Ceremony, symposiums are held at Japanese Language Education field (Ho Chi Minh City University of Education), Life Sciences field (Biotechnology Center of Ho Chi Minh City), Infection field (University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City) and Clinical Medicine field (Cho Ray Hospital) organized by faculty of each university in Vietnam and the University of the Tsukuba at each partner university or organization in which the results and the future of the exchange were actively discussed.

The next day, the University of Tsukuba Alumni Meeting was held at Ho Chi Minh City wherein the representatives of the Alumni Network from the north area around Hanoi City, the south area around Ho Chi Minh City, and the central area gathered, they reported their activity and played video showing campus life in the University of Tsukuba shoot by current exchange student associations from Vietnam. The 27 graduates attended the meeting enjoyed their reunion, longing for school days and mentioned that they will expand and activate their activity through the nation.

Taking the Ceremony as an opportunity, the exchange between Vietnam and the University of Tsukuba initiated from the opening of the international office at Ho Chi Minh City is expected to expand more in the future.

Commemorative group photo, attendees of the ceremony

Summarizing of the exchange history delivered by President Nagata

During a panel discussion: (From left) President Tran Diep Tuan of UMP, President Huey-Jen Jenny Sue of National Cheng Kung University and President Nagata of the University of Tsukuba

Vietnam Alumni Association members

Commemorative group photo, Alumni Meeting