A delegation led by Vice President ZHUANG Hui-Ming of East China Normal University (ECNU), a partner university, visited Kobe University on October 16, 2009. Since concluding an academic agreement in Aug. of 2000, Kobe University has developed a partnership with ECNU through exchange programs between ECNU's School of Educational Science and Kobe University's Graduate School of Human Development and Environment and the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies. Moreover, the two universities have recently implemented a short-term summer language training program.

Prior to visiting Kobe University, the delegation first visited Sumiyoshi Elementary School and Sumiyoshi Junior High School where they discussed the cooperation between the university and its attached schools with the two principals, Prof. TAKAHASHI Tadashi and Prof. ICHIHASHI Hideki, followed by a tour of the schools. At Kobe University they were met by Vice President/Director of International Exchange, Dr. NAKAMURA Chiharu, Prof. AOKI Tsutomu of the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Prof. MIZUTA Kyohei of the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, and Director of Kobe University International Student Center Office, Dr. NAKANISHI Yasuhiro.

The discussion began with Vice President NAKAMURA giving an overview of Kobe University, which was followed by Vice President ZHUANG's explanation of "Project 211" and "Project 985", which are Chinese government funded projects given to top class universities. At the end of the meeting Prof. YAMASAKI Takeshi announced in Chinese that Kobe University's Graduate School of Human Development and Environment and ECNU's School of Resources and Environmental Science are in the process of signing an MOU to pursue a collaborative research especially on environmental issues.