On June 17, 2026, H. E. Béatrice Le Fraper du Hellen, Ambassador of France to Japan, visited Tohoku University to meet with President Teiji Tominaga and other university officials. Accompanying the ambassador were Ms. Laetitia Bilgorai, Political Counsellor, and Prof. Xavier Bressaud, Counselor for Science and Technology. Representing the university alongside President Tominaga were Executive Vice Presidents Asako Sugimoto, Toshiya Ueki, and Masahiro Yamaguchi, as well as Associate Executive Vice President Kazuko Suematsu. Both parties enjoyed exchanging their views regarding the strengthening of academic and research cooperation between Japan and France, as well as personnel exchanges for the next generation.
President Tominaga began by welcoming the delegation and highlighted France’s status as an essential partner for the university in both research and education, noting the active student exchanges and the fact that France is one of the leading countries and regions in terms of sending international students to Tohoku University. Ambassador Le Fraper du Hellen responded by expressing her gratitude for the robust partnership over many years and voiced her hopes for an increase in the number of students sent by the university to France. The ambassador was then introduced to specific educational support systems, such as French language programs at the university and short-term dispatch programs scheduled for the summer.
The ambassador pointed out that although Japan and France have been collaborating in science at a high level, within Japan there tends to be a focus more on cultural and artistic aspects. Both sides agreed to aim to raise awareness among the public about scientific cooperation between Japan and France and engaged in a productive discussion on strengthening future collaboration with France and other European countries through frameworks such as Horizon Europe.
The visiting delegation was given a tour of the next-generation synchrotron radiation facility NanoTerasu on the day prior to the meeting, and after the meeting had concluded, they visited the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization. The ambassador and her party showed a great deal of interest in the university’s cutting-edge research efforts and expressed a strong desire to see even greater collaboration between Tohoku University and French universities, research institutions, and businesses.
This visit provided both parties with an important opportunity to reinforce the cooperative relationship between Tohoku University and France in both research and education.
Global Strategy Office
TEL: 022-217-6311
Email: kokusai-c*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (please replace * with @)