Left-right: Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi; President Hideo Ohno; Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, President of JICA; and Mr. Yukiharu Kobayashi, Director General of JICA’s Tohoku Center
On November 27, the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, paid a visit to Tohoku University and met with President Hideo Ohno.
President Ohno warmly welcomed Dr. Tanaka and expressed his appreciation for JICA’s cooperation with regards to disaster risk reduction efforts.
Dr. Tanaka remarked that the contributions that Tohoku University has made through its focus on the field of disaster risk reduction have become a hallmark of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Official Development Assistance (ODA). He stated that building disaster-resistant and resilient societies continues to be a global challenge.
In response, President Ohno shared that, as a comprehensive university which experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami firsthand, Tohoku University feels a responsibility to continue contributing to this important project.
They went on to discuss the importance of promoting the acceptance of international students, touching on two key perspectives of strengthening the international competitiveness of Japanese universities and educating the talented individuals of the future. In addition, they spoke about how research activities should be evaluated based on how the activities help solve global issues and make other contributions to society. As the productive meeting came to a close, President Ohno and Dr. Tanaka both agreed to the continued cooperation of Tohoku University and JICA.
President Ohno and Dr. Tanaka engage in discussion
Contact:
Global Engagement Division, Tohoku University
Tel: 022-217-6182 / 5578
Email: kokusai-k@grp.tohoku.ac.jp