On 3 July 2025, Prof. Franco Fraccaroli, the Vice Rector of the University of Trento, Italy, and Prof. Gianluca Esposito, Director of the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, paid a courtesy visit to Trustee Masako Ito. The purpose of this visit was to exchange views on further developing joint research and academic exchange between the two institutions. At the meeting, Associate Professor Nakahata Yasukazu of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Integrative Neuroscience and Associate Professor Maruyama Masazumi, Chair of the International Exchange Committee (Faculty of Economics) also attended.

The University of Trento and Nagasaki University signed an academic exchange agreement with the University in 2014, and since 2016 we have been continuously awarded grants under the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme.

Through its grant, the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Faculty of Economics have a number of student and staff exchanges, as well as joint research with the faculty of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The Erasmus+ award comes from a track record of thriving exchanges with partner universities abroad, and Prof. Esposito hoped it would further promote research collaboration. Prof. Fraccaroli explained that a new degree in Medicine and Surgery will be established at Trento University next year. Therefore, he hoped for further exchanges with the School of Medicine, as well as with the Faculty of Engineering and the Institute of Tropical Medicine. He also expressed his interests in promoting exchanges of administrative staff and education and research personnel.

After the courtesy visit, a round-table meeting was held including the head of the Internationalization Planning Section and we received information on the online programme being implemented by Trento University to verify and evaluate the results of joint research on a digital network. Our university’s international initiatives were then also explained and mutual understanding deepened.

In the afternoon of the same day, an information session about The University of Trento was held for medical students.

From left Prof. Fraccaroli, Prof. Esposito, Prof. Ito, Associate Prof. Nakahata and Associate Prof. Maruyama

Scene from the courtesy visit

Presentation of commemorative gifts

The University of Trento information session