Hiroshima University (HU) is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for collaboration with the World Maritime University (WMU) that was signed by the Presidents of the two universities on 25 March 2023. The LOI lays the foundation for a close partnership between the two institutions, leveraging the strengths of each, to achieve common goals through joint research and education regarding the future of our ocean.

The partnership envisages a consortium for the future of our ocean focusing on sustainability as well as green and blue innovation in Sato-Umi, a coastal area where biological productivity and biodiversity has increased through human interaction. Maritime safety is also an intended focus in collaboration with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the Japan Coast Guard Academy and the City of Kure.

The signing of the LOI marks the beginning of the partnership between HU and WMU. The two universities are committed to working closely together to further strengthen their partnership and commitment to a sustainable future for our ocean.

Hiroshima University (HU) is one of the distinguished comprehensive research universities in Japan, consisting of 12 Schools and 5 Graduate Schools. As a university committed ‘to cultivate peace-pursuing, cultured individuals with an international mindset and a challenging spirit’, HU aims to establish a world-class research and education base that implements ‘Science for Sustainable Development’. This can be exemplified by its cutting-edge research currently undertaken in a wide range of fields such as ‘Knotted chiral meta matter’, ‘Genomics’, ‘Brain sciences’, and ‘Nanodevices’. In THE's Impact Rankings 2022 where it evaluated social contribution capabilities within the framework of the SDGs, HU came 3rd place in Japan.

The World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden is established within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. The mission of WMU is to be the world centre of excellence in postgraduate maritime and oceans education, professional training and research, while building global capacity and promoting sustainable development. WMU is an organization by and for the international maritime community and is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Agenda.