UM rector leads delegation to visit partner universities in Japan to enhance integrated development of research and teaching

Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM), recently led a delegation to Tokyo, Japan, to visit the Chinese Embassy in Japan and several renowned universities . The trip has seen the implementation of multiple cooperation initiatives in research and teaching, further enhancing cooperation and exchanges between UM and other higher education institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Song, the trip to Japan has yielded significant results. It has deepened cooperation with the visited higher education institutions in the areas of teaching, research, and student exchange, in addition to setting directions and plans for future cooperation. The cooperation initiatives will effectively enhance the academic standing and international influence of UM, while contributing to the synergistic development of higher education in the Asia-Pacific region.

During their trip to Japan, the UM delegation met with Wu Jianghao, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, and Du Kewei, minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Japan. During the meeting, the two parties had discussions on enhancing academic exchange and cooperation between the Macao SAR and Japan. Wu highly praised UM for its international development and expressed hope that the university will continue to deepen its cooperation with higher education institutions in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region in research and teaching, thereby contributing to the development of the Macao SAR and the country.

In addition, the UM delegation visited Keio University and had a meeting with its president, Kohei Itoh. During the meeting, Song said that the longstanding student exchange programme between the two universities has yielded fruitful results over the years. It is hoped that the two universities, through this visit, will strengthen their cooperation, especially in the fields of traditional medicine and business administration. Representatives of UM’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences also paid a visit to the Center for Kampo Medicine of Keio University School of Medicine, where they engaged in in-depth discussions with the research staff at the centre to explore opportunities for fostering collaborative research on traditional medicine.

The delegation then visited the University of Tokyo and met with its vice president Yujin Yaguchi to explore a more robust mechanism for student and faculty exchanges on the basis of their collaborative summer exchange activities. They also agreed to foster collaborative research, particularly in the field of pharmacy. Members of the delegation also paid a visit to the laboratories of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tokyo. They met with the dean, Masayuki Miura, who shared the latest research developments in immunology, pharmacokinetics, and drug regulatory science. The two parties reached a consensus on research collaboration in the relevant fields.

At Teikyo University, the UM delegation was received by its president Yoshihito Okinaga. The two parties reviewed the implementation of student and faculty exchanges and their student exchange agreements in recent years. They also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between residential colleges to further promote student and faculty exchanges. They also reached a consensus on academic cooperation in humanities, social sciences, and medicine. In addition, the delegation visited Sophia University, where they discussed and exchanged views with its president Yoshiaki Terumichi and other representatives. Both parties agreed to enhance the implementation of student exchange agreements and had discussions on joint training of talents in the field of humanities and social sciences.

At Waseda University, both parties expressed their wish to strengthen the student exchange programme launched many years ago and to further explore cooperation in the fields of humanities, social sciences, and business administration. They also explored the establishment of joint training programmes in integrated resort and tourism management. Moreover, the UM delegation visited Tokyo Medical University, where both parties exchanged views on cooperation in medicine and related fields and discussed potential collaboration.

Members of the UM delegation included Chen Xin, director of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences; Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office; Loi Chi Ho, associate dean of the Faculty of Business Administration; So Siu Ian, assistant dean of the Faculty of Business Administration; and Ung Oi Lam, programme director of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences.