University of Toyama and Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines concluded Inter-University Academic Exchange Agreement

Following the signing of the inter-university academic exchange agreement between both Presidents, a witness signing ceremony was held between Dr. Ikeda, Executive Vice President for International Affairs of University of Toyama (UT) and Dr. Maria Luz Vilches, Vice President of Ateneo de Manila University on December 9 at the campus of Ateneo de Manila University.

Ateneo de Manila University is the top-ranked university in the Philippines in the recently released Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, and has cooperated with UT in providing online English language training in the summers of 2021 and 2022, even when overseas English language training for students was not available due to the Corona disaster. Furthermore, in March 2023, about 40 first-year undergraduate course students are scheduled to participate in English language training at the campus of Ateneo de Manila University, leading to the conclusion of the inter-university academic exchange agreement with the intention of further strengthening ties between both universities.

In the discussion between the Vice Presidents, while confirming the direction in which both universities have been focusing on SDGs-related fields in recent years, Executive Vice President Ikeda promoted the point that the ASEAN region is a priority area for MEXT Scholarship Students Priority Placement Program in the Graduate School of Sustainability Studies (Master’s Program) of UT, and Vice President Maria Luz Vilches expressed her favorable reception that the program is very attractive for Ateneo de Manila University and would highly recommend it to students.