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University of Tsukuba participated in the 6th Mexico-Japan Rectors' Summit
The 6th Japan-Mexico Rectors' Summit was held at Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) in Mexico City on September 4 and 5, 2024. University of Tsukuba was represented by Vice President and Executive Director for Global Affairs Dr. IKEDA Jun and Professor of the Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences Dr. WATANABE Kazuo.
The Summit highlighted how higher education institutions from both countries, in collaboration with governmental and private sector institutions, can devise measures to confront various global challenges. The discussion focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, food security threats, water scarcities and possible loss of jobs in future, among others. In the concluding session, the participants agreed on their future efforts in these fields in a form of a Joint Statement.
From Japan, Sophia University (Japan side secretariat), University of Tsukuba and seven other universities participated in this Summit. On the Mexico side, more than 60 universities attended it including IPN, the host institution for the 6th meeting, and the three universities (El Colegio de Mexico, Colegio de Postgraduados de Ciencias Agricolas, and Universidad de Guadalajara) with which University of Tsukuba has concluded agreements for international academic exchange. Governmental and private sector institutions of both countries also participated.
Professor WATANABE made a presentation at the Session 4 "Sustainable development with an emphasis on energy, sovereignty, and food safety" and introduced the scientific and technological cooperation between Japan and Mexico to date on the evaluation and sustainable use of genetic resources of Mexico in which University of Tsukuba has been taking the lead.
The Summit has been held every two to three years alternately in Japan and Mexico, and University of Tsukuba will host the next Summit. Vice President IKEDA made remarks at the end of the closing session for inviting the participants to the next meeting in Japan.
