Kobe University

The 3rd HOKU (Honolulu Office of Kobe University) Symposium held

November 30, 2018

On November 16, Kobe University held the 3rd HOKU (Honolulu Office of Kobe University) Symposium “Agricultural Science for Sustainable Global Development and Healthy Society”. The event took place at JAIMS (Japan-America Institute of Management Science), where the Honolulu Office is located, and was organized in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

Chaired by Professor Yasuhito Shirai (a member of the Kobe University Office of the Americas and the Graduate School of Agricultural Science), the opening greetings were given by Professor Ken-Ichi Shimomura (Director of the Office of the Americas) and Professor Steve Goddard (Former Vice Chancellor and member of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln). Professor Shimomura and Professor Goddard spoke on universities in the Americas and pan-Pacific region establishing cooperative relationships based on mutual interests, the importance of jointly considering the potential for new research and education initiatives, and expressed their wishes that this symposium would contribute to more in-depth, active research for all participants. To follow, University of Nebraska-Lincoln members Mr. Josh Davis (Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement) and Dr. Tala Awada (Associate Dean of the Agricultural Research Division for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources) introduced UNL’s internationalization initiatives and the agricultural research division.

The symposium was composed of three sessions, on human health science, agricultural economics, and plant pathology. Academics from the University of Nebrasaka-Lincoln, the University of California San Diego, the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Nankai University joined faculty members from the Kobe University Graduate School of Agricultural Science to present their research findings. The event had a lively atmosphere from start to finish: every session was full of active discussions, and the knowledge shared in each presentation was also debated during the coffee breaks and lunch period.

Professor Toshinori Kawabata (Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Science) gave the closing remarks, expressing his gratitude to everyone who participated, introducing the history and characteristics of Kobe University and the Graduate School of Agricultural Science, and stating Kobe University’s intentions for further collaboration to develop academic exchange with universities in the Americas and the pan-Pacific region.

The Honolulu Office of Kobe University will continue to host symposia and workshops in order to connect researchers from Japan, the Americas and the pan-Pacific region. We have high expectations for this Office as a key location in further strengthening the partnerships between Kobe University and academic institutions in the Americas and throughout the Pacific.

(International Affairs Planning Division)