Presidents and other people from Tanjungpura University in Indonesia and seven universities and one organization in the Bicol region of the Philippines, who visited Kochi University to participate in the 11th International Symposium on Kuroshio Science, hosted by the Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, a doctorate course of the university, made courtesy calls on President Wakiguchi and Vice-President Sakurai (Director of General Administration and International and Inter-Regional Exchanges) on July 24.

　First, the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Faculty of Forestry of Tanjungpura University, Kochi University’s partner university, visited Vice-President Sakurai. As the two universities proactively promote student exchanges between them, graduates from Tanjungpura University have been admitted to the Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, and the Faculty of Regional Collaboration has exchange students from the university as well. The three mainly talked about further enhancement of exchanges between the two universities in the future.

　Then, presidents and other people from seven universities and one organization in the Bicol region in the Philippines (Bicol University, Partido State University, Catanduanes State University, Sorsogon State College, Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology, Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology, and the second regional branch of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) visited President Wakiguchi. President Wakiguchi welcomed them, saying, “Kochi University places special importance on exchanges with Kuroshio current countries in Southeast Asia. I am hoping that we can work in good cooperation to protect the seas and natural environment of the world through science.” Vice-President Victor Salcedo Soliman from Bicol University and President Raul Giga Bradecina from Partido State University, who both had obtained a Ph.D. degree from Kochi University by dissertation, expressed their appreciation for the welcome they had received from the university. They finished their talk by wishing for further expansion of exchanges between them in the future, hoping that the symposium would enable the seven participant universities, which are all state universities in the Bicol region and located close to each other, to take this opportunity to further strengthen cooperation between them and take advantage of their enhanced network to promote exchanges with Kochi University as well.

＜Chairperson of the Faculty of Forestry of Tanjungpura University visiting Vice-President＞

＜President visited by eight organizations from the Bicol region in the Philippines＞