On December 15th, 2023, Hiroshima University (HU) concluded an inter-university international exchange agreement with Bacgiang Agriculture and Forestry University in Vietnam. On the occasion of the conclusion of this agreement, HU President Mitsuo Ochi, Executive Vice President for Global Initiatives Shinji Kaneko, Dean of the School of Applied Biological Science Masayuki Shimada, and Professor Tran Dang Xuan of the IDEC Institute paid a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam in Hanoi. The Ministry’s Deputy Minister, Dr. Tran Thanh Nam, and Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Giang Province, Mr. Le O Pich, were also in attendance at the signing ceremony.

President Ochi expressed his desire for the promotion of student exchange, saying, “I would like to invite distinguished researchers and students not only in the field of agriculture, but also in many other fields, to come to Hiroshima University to study in our fulfilling research environment.”

In response, Rector Pham Bao Duong of Bacgiang Agriculture and Forestry University spoke of his ambitions, saying, “Bac Giang Province has achieved great developments in the field of agriculture as well as fields such as forestry and manufacturing. By all means, we would like to move forward with exchange in diverse fields.” Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also stated his hopes for the expansion of exchange in the future and said, “I would like to ask for HU’s cooperation in the development of human resources at other universities under the jurisdiction of our ministry.”

HU has been making efforts to promote exchange with Vietnam, with President Ochi meeting with H.E. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, during his visit to Japan for the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May 2023, and with H.E. Mr. Vo Van Thuong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in November. It is hoped that this visit and the signing of the international exchange agreement will promote exchange with Bacgiang Agriculture and Forestry University as well as other universities and research institutions in Vietnam.