February 27, 2017
On February 16, a delegation from Tribhuvan University visited Kobe University. The members were Professor Jagdish Prasad Agrawal (Dean of the Institute of Medicine), Associate Professor Rameshwar Prasad Pokharel (Tribhubvan University Teaching Hospital Pediatric Surgery) and Professor Nira Pandey (Campus Chief of Nursing Campus Maharajgunj). The group met with Kobe University members Professor INOUE Noriyuki (Executive Vice President for International Exchange), Professor OGATA Yasushi (Director of the Center for Asian Academic Collaboration), Professor TOMIYAMA Akio (Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering), Professor OISHI Satoru (Head of the Research Center for Urban Safety and Security), Professor KONDO Narihiko (Graduate School of Human Development and Environment), and Professor TAKADA Satoshi (Graduate School of Health Sciences). During the meeting the groups discussed previous academic exchange and the potential for expanding collaboration into other fields.
Tribhuvan University is Nepal’s first and largest university, founded in 1959. They concluded an academic exchange agreement in December 2001 with Kobe University’s School and Graduate School of Medicine, and there is ongoing bilateral student and researcher exchange. In February 2017 an interfaculty agreement for academic exchange was concluded between our Graduate School of Health Sciences, School and Graduate School of Medicine, and Tribhuvan University’s Institute of Medicine. There is also active exchange between Tribhuvan University and faculty members in our Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Research Center for Urban Safety and Security, and Graduate School of Engineering.
After the Nepal earthquake on April 15, 2015, Kobe University became involved in fundraising and disaster relief efforts in response to a request from Professor Pokharel, a pHD graduate of our Graduate School of Medicine.
Dean Agrawal started the meeting by expressing his appreciation for Kobe University’s assistance in disaster relief efforts after the 2015 earthquake. This was followed by a general discussion on the potential for expanding exchange between the two universities. Active exchange between faculty members is already taking place, and the participants debated the possibilities of interdisciplinary joint research on disaster relief strategies and short-term training programs for relief operations. We hope this visit will encourage further exchange between our universities.

(International Affairs Planning Division)