On April 6 and 7, 2026, a delegation including University of Rennes (France) President David Alis paid a visit to Tohoku University. The delegation was comprised of seventeen representatives primarily from the University of Rennes, as well as from INSA Rennes (Institut national des sciences appliquées de Rennes), ENSAI (École nationale de la statistique et de l’analyse de l’information), the Regional Council of Brittany, and the Embassy of France in Japan. During the two-day visit, Tohoku University and the University of Rennes renewed their university-level academic exchange agreement. The delegation also visited several of Tohoku University’s graduate schools and institutes, and discussions on entrepreneurship education were held with representatives of Sendai City and the Tohoku University Startup Incubation Center.
On the morning of April 6, the delegation visited the 3GeV synchrotron radiation facility NanoTerasu on the Aobayama Campus. Associate Executive Vice President (for NanoTerasu Co-Creation) Masaki Takata explained the facility’s structure and features and introduced examples of industry-university collaboration. The group then viewed its cutting-edge synchrotron radiation equipment from the observation hall. Next, they toured the student dormitory ‘University House Aobayama’, viewing its communal spaces and model rooms to deepen their understanding of the university’s international education and campus life environment. Afterwards, there was a signing ceremony at the Westin Sendai, where President Teiji Tominaga and President Alis renewed their institutions’ university-level academic exchange agreement. President Tominaga expressed his expectations for future collaboration, saying, “We would like to deepen cooperation with overseas universities like the University of Rennes to further increase our research capabilities as a ‘University for International Research Excellence’”. Tohoku University students currently studying abroad at the University of Rennes were also present at the signing ceremony and presented their student exchange experiences.
After the signing ceremony, the delegation visited the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS). Center Director Shinichi Koshimura presented Tohoku University’s leading research in disaster science and its disaster risk reduction initiatives, sparking a lively discussion. Next, the delegation split into three groups and visited the Graduate School of Engineering, the Graduate School of Environmental Science, the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, the Graduate School of Life Sciences, the Graduate School of Law, and the Graduate School of Economics and Management where they discussed topics such as researcher and student exchange.
On April 7, the delegation met with representatives from Sendai City and the Tohoku University Startup Incubation Center at the Urbannet Sendai-Chuo Building. Sendai City introduced regional startup assistance measures, the current status and prospects for entrepreneurship education, and explained the city’s close cooperative relationship with Tohoku University in detail. The delegation also toured parts of the building, including coworking spaces and Sendai City’s Startup Studio. Members from the University of Rennes praised the strong local government-university collaborative framework, noting that the city of Rennes could look to it as an example.
In 2027, Sendai City and Rennes will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of their sister city relationship. Going forward, Tohoku University will continue to accelerate student exchange and research cooperation with the University of Rennes and related institutions.
Contact:
Global Strategy Office
Strategic Management Headquarters
TEL: 022-217-4844
Email: kokusai-r*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace the * with @)