On Thursday, April 18, Vice Chanellor Datin Dr Hajah Anita BZ Abdul Aziz and 3 other representatives from Universiti Brunei Darussalam paid a courtesy call to OU President NISHIO Shojiro. Also in attendance from OU were Executive Vice President KAWAHARA Genta, Professor HIRATA Kazumasa (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science), Specially Appointed Professor ARAI Masayoshi (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science), Professor TAMIYA Eiichi (Graduate School of Engineering), Specially Appointed Professor Hasan Quamrul (Center for Global Initiatives), Associate Professor SUMIMURA Yoshinori (Center for Global Initiatives), and Division of Global Affairs Manager SUMIYOSHI Kenji. Those in attendance discussed the promotion of education and research at the ASEAN Campus in Brunei, and following the courtesy call, the group visited IFReC, BIKEN, and the International Center for Biotechnology.

On Wednesday, April 24, Rector Dr. Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal of Univeristi Islam Sulan Sharif Ali paid a courtesy call to OU President NISHIO Shojiro. Also in attendance from OU were Executive Vice President KAWAHARA Genta, Professor HIRATA Kazumasa (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science), Professor TAMIYA Eiichi (Graduate School of Engineering), Specially Appointed Professor Hasan Quamrul (Center for Global Initiatives), Associate Professor SUMIMURA Yoshinori (Center for Global Initiatives), and Division of Global Affairs Manager SUMIYOSHI Kenji. Those in attendance exchanged opinions regarding collaborations in halal science and collaborative efforts at the ASEAN Campus. Following the courtesy call, the group visited the School of Foreign Studies and the International Studies Library on the Minoh Campus.

On Friday, July 12, 11 faculty members from Osaka University, including President NISHIO Shojiro and Executive Vice President of Global Engagement KAWAHARA Genta, visited Mahidol University. The faculty members from Osaka University met with Vice President Nopraenue Sajjarax Dhirathiti, Department of Tropical Hygiene Director Pratap Singhasivanon, and Faculty of Science Dean Sittiwat Lertsiri on Mahidol University’s Phaya Thai Campus, exchanging opinions on plans for the future, such as the promotion of researcher exchange and the creation of a mechanism to continue exchange between the universities. The two universities agreed to make use of Mahidol University’s overseas office that was established at Osaka University in March 2019 and actively carry out collaboration in the field of data science and student exchange in the form of double degree programs. In addition, the group from Osaka University inspected the Osaka University ASEAN Campuses established in the Faculty of Tropical Medicine and Faculty of Science, confirming that their laboratories will be used to educate students based on strong collaboration between the two universities.

On Thursday, August 22, ASEAN Center for Academic Initiatives Director HISADA Hitoshi attended the 31st graduation ceremony at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) on behalf of OU President NISHIO Shojiro. A congratulatory speech was given by Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, chancellor of UBD, and diplomas were conferred to all graduating students. Osaka University and UBD concluded an inter-university exchange agreement in 2017, with active mutual exchange of students taking place in recent years. Moving forward, the two universities will work together to construct international joint degree programs in order to further promote student exchange.