On March 30, Director General of the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration (VIWA) in the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam, Dr. Bui Thien Thu was awarded with the title of Project Professor by Institute of Global Human Resource Development at Okayama University.

The title of Project Professor is awarded to individuals expected to play an important role in the development of Okayama University through their cooperation in our various overseas activities. On this occasion, the title was conferred on Dr. Bui Thien Thu in recognition of his ongoing work to develop relations between Japan and Vietnam. After obtaining a doctorate in economics from Okayama University’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Thu returned to Vietnam, where he served as a director of the Viet Nam-Japan Friendship Association while contributing to Okayama University’s efforts in international exchange and human resource development.

The award ceremony was held at the VIWA with the cooperation of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and was attended by the Deputy Minister Nguyen Nhat from the Ministry of Transport and Deputy Chief of Mission ASAZUMA Shinichi from the Embassy of Japan, among others. Okayama University President MAKINO Hirofumi and Vice President for International Affairs KIMURA Kunio attended virtually using a video conferencing platform as representatives of the university.

Though President Makino was unable to directly present the award to Dr. Thu due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the award ceremony was able to take place thanks to the assistance of the VIWA and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam. The ceremony was a wonderful example of cooperation between Japan and Vietnam, and we hope that it will lead to further exchange in the near future.

○Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration, Ministry of Transport of Vietnam Website (Vietnamese)
○Embassy of Japan in Vietnam Homepage (Japanese and Vietnamese)