The Okayama University Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science held the “Okayama University-Hue University Joint Symposium on Education and Research Programs for Environmental and Agricultural Sciences” on November 5, 2017 at Hue University in Vietnam.

In the first session, Professor Kazuhiro Toyoda of the Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science introduced the Okayama-Hue International Master’s Program. After that, Professor Doo Chul Kim described the “International Doctoral Course for Young Lecturers (InDoYL)” of the initiative for “Forming a base for joint acquisition of doctorates by international working members of society that will serve as a nucleus for education and research programs through cooperation among different fields internationally—overseas development of a Japanese version of a graduate level higher education system” that was adopted this fiscal year. Then, Associate Professors Nguyen Huu Van and Nguyen Huu Ngu of Hue University spoke from the Vietnamese point of view about Okayama University’s endeavors, research activities, and other aspects of our work. There was also a question and answer session, and a lively exchange of views between Okayama University faculty members and Vietnamese students, researchers and faculty.

In the second session, research results were discussed, and in the third, activities of the “foster parent” companies for the Okayama-Hue International Master’s Program were introduced.

Our university and Hue University have signed a university-level exchange agreement, and have jointly cultivated human resources who can play effective roles immediately. Together we are working to contribute educationally to resolving issues such as poverty in developing nations and environmental problems that are worsening at a global level.