From July 27 to August 2, 2025, President Nagayasu Takeshi, Director Kaneko Osamu of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, and other representatives from Nagasaki University (NU) visited Hanoi, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The purpose of this trip was to strengthen ties with partner institutions and promote academic exchange. The representatives exchanged ideas with the colleagues, toured facilities, and attended an agreement signing ceremony.

On July 28, the delegation paid a courtesy call on H.E., Mr. Ito Naoki, Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam to express gratitude for their support of the university’s research activities in the country.

Then, they visited Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and observed a SATREPS project: “Construction of a Water Supply System Resistant to Water Pollution,” led by Professor Fujioka Takahiro of our Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology.

In the evening, a gathering for the Nagasaki University Global Alumni Network (NUGAN) in northern Vietnam was held, where 13 graduates of our university in the Hanoi area met with President Nagayasu.

On July 29, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Kobayashi Yosuke, Chief Representative of the JICA Vietnam Office. They shared ideas on NU’s education, research, and technical cooperation activities, as well as future collaboration. They also visited the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and toured the Nagasaki University Institute of Tropical Medicine’s Vietnam Research Station. President Nagayasu also signed a joint research agreement with Director Phan Trong Lan.

On July 30, they visited the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, where the President awarded the title of Visiting Professor to Director Do Thai Hung, a graduate of Nagasaki University. The contributions of Prof. Yoshida Lay Myint of NU Institute of Tropical Medicine, who has been working to improve public health in Vietnam in the field of pediatric infectious diseases since 2006, were presented. Local media covered this part of the visit.

On July 31, a signing ceremony for an academic exchange agreement was held at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Nguyen Tri Thuc, Deputy Minister of Health of Vietnam, and Mr. Ono Masuo, the Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City. The participants reviewed the cooperation between the two institutions to date and discussed future collaborations.

The night before that, a NUGAN meeting for alumni in southern Vietnam was held in Ho Chi Minh City, where 11 alumni around the city gathered to strengthen their bonds.

Through this visit, NU representatives reflected on their long history of collaboration with Vietnamese partner institutions in the fields of infectious disease research and water systems. Both counterparts confirmed expectations for further cooperation in the future.