Third "Evening Reception with President NAGATA" Held in Malaysia

On September 3, to commemorate the opening of the University of Tsukuba, Malaysia (UTMy), the third event in the series entitled "Evening Reception with President NAGATA Kyosuke" was held in Kuala Lumpur. The event was co-sponsored by the Office of Business and Stakeholder Relations, the School of Transdisciplinary Science and Design, and the Academic Service Office for the Malaysia Overseas Education Hub.

Sixty invitees attended the event, including representatives from government agencies, local Japanese companies, ALEPS (Alumni Look East Policy Society), and JAGAM (Japan Graduates' Association of Malaysia), which was held to strengthen the partnership between the University of Tsukuba, UTMy, local Japanese companies, and the local community. From the University of Tsukuba's main campus, President NAGATA Kyosuke, Vice President and Executive Director for Education Dr. KATO Mitsuyasu, Vice President and Executive Director for Finance and Facilities Mr. HIMIYA Naoki, and Executive Officer for Business and Stakeholder Relations Dr. KANAHO Yasunori were among the attendees.

The event commenced with opening remarks from Dr. KANAHO, Executive Officer for Business and Stakeholder Relations, followed by President NAGATA formally announcing the opening of UTMy expressing his gratitude to attendees, and speaking about the university's initiatives.

Then, Professor Dr. TSUJIMURA Maki introduced UTMy's faculty members, affirming their commitment to solving global issues arising in Malaysia and neighboring countries utilizing their expertise through joint research and collaboration with local companies and organizations.

At the beginning of the second half of the event, Ambassador Mr. TAKAHASHI Katsuhiko of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia addressed attendees.

"I would like to extend my deepest congratulations on the opening of UTMy. We consider this a great achievement in the relationship between Japan and Malaysia. It is our hope that this will lead to more success for Japanese universities abroad, as they will be able to experience the advantages of Japanese universities in other countries. We are very pleased to have played a part in this process."

During the final exchange, attendees were reminded that there are high expectations for UTMy.

Ms. IMAI Keiko, an individual donor, and former Director of the JST Malaysia Office presented the future image of UTMy functioning as a hub for mutual understanding as follows:

"I believe that UTMy will contribute to fostering a number of students who understand Japan's values. Malaysia is also a member of the Asian community, a gateway to the Islamic world, which is unfamiliar to Japanese people, and a place where they can learn about the cultures of China and India. I hope that more people get to know Malaysia, a country that is precious to the Japanese."

A University of Tsukuba alumnus working for Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) as a faculty member said:

"Being part of alumni of the University of Tsukuba, this is a very honorable moment. My alma mater, the University of Tsukuba, now also exists in Kuala Lumpur. Being part of UTM, I'm sure we will try to collaborate as much as possible from UTM, especially in the field of social linguistics and other interdisciplinary fields. I'm sure that UTMy will prosper with more students and play a big role in internationalization in educational institutions in Malaysia and also around this region. All the best to UTMy!"

Meanwhile, the faculty members who were assigned to the UTMy expressed their resolutions as follows:

"Students who enrolled in a foreign university that has just opened are challengers. we believe they are valuable human resources, and we will do our best to meet their expectations."

"We, the faculty, will work hard together to produce outstanding human resources from UTMy, just like the main campus."

"The President described this project as 'a carefully planned recklessness,' but since innovation comes from places where no plans are made, we will continue to take on various "reckless" challenges from now on."

UTMy's educational initiative will contribute to Malaysian society by developing human resources through socially implemented education, as well as by collaborating and strengthening ties with local companies, organizations, and the local community in the future.