On June 1, Dr. Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Director of the University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies, and Ms. Toshiko Saito, the former president of the University of Michigan Alumni Association Japan, visited President Hirofumi Makino at Okayama University.

This visit, which was made possible through the intermediation of Mr. Yokoi, Vice Executive Director for international affairs, aimed to provide representatives from the University of Michigan and Okayama University with an opportunity to discuss a variety of topics with a view to promoting interaction and collaboration between the two academic institutions, with the 70th anniversary of opening the University of Michigan’s Okayama Field Station (2020) approaching. Back then, the Okayama Field Station was the only American research center established in Japan.

The discussion was held by Dr. Tsutsui, Ms. Saito, President Makino and 11 faculty members of Okayama University. With Professor Mitsunobu Kano, Vice Executive Director in charge of promoting Okayama University’s efforts to help achieve SDGs, as the moderator, they freely discussed the current trends in Japanese studies in the U.S. and the possibility of future interaction and collaboration between the two institutions.

In closing, President Makino expressed his gratitude to Dr. Tsutsui and Ms. Saito and said, “Considering today’s meeting as the very first meeting between Okayama University and the University of Michigan, I’d like both institutions to continue to interact with each other.” All the participants promised to promote collaboration between the two universities.