President Houkin’s visit to the University of Edinburgh

Provost Graham and President Houkin

On 19 February, President Kiyohiro Houkin, Hokkaido University (HU) visited the University of Edinburgh with his colleagues: Professor Kazunori Iwabuchi, Advisor to the President (International Affairs) from the Research Faculty of Agriculture, Distinguished Professor Yasuhiko Suzuki from the International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Professor Mikine Yamazaki, Advisor to the President (Public Relations) from the Faculty of Public Policy, Director Eri Hata of the International Affairs Department, and Senior Academic Specialist (International) Taena Uemura from the Institute for International Collaboration.

With Prof Lisa Boden, Head of R(D)SVS

HU’s School and Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine and Graduate School of Infectious Diseases have deepened its bond of friendship with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS), the University of Edinburgh via co-arranged two-way field trips of students as the International Vet Exchange Programme – Achieving Global Standards of Excellence in Veterinary Education since 2018.  It was continued during the COVID-19 pandemic even as online formatted and offered a solid foundation for early career researcher cultivation. The Cooperative Veterinary Education Program between HU School of Veterinary Medicine and Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (VetNorth Japan) received full accreditation by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) in December 2019, and HU received much support from R(D)SVS for that time as well.

The delegates conducted their one-day visit from meetings with faculties from R(D)SVS, the Roslin Institute, Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Biochar Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, and College of Science and Engineering to a meeting with Professor Kim Graham, Provost and Mr Alan Mackay, Deputy Vice Principal International.  Meetings arranged by Dr Andy Hopker, Associate Dean International, R(D)SVS confirmed the impact of the continued Hokkaido-Edinburgh student exchange programme, potentials in research collaborations between the International Institute for Zoonosis Control/Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (IVReD) and the Roslin Institute, and communications for sustainable food systems co-designed with local governments and communities for the Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) for which HU is budgeted by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

In front of the statue of Prof William Dick

With Prof Ondrej Masek, alumnus of HU

With Prof Joanna Wardiaw and Dr Paul Brennan

With Profs Neil Robertson and Achim Schnaufer, Ms Jennifer Riley

The two universities have developing research collaborations in the fields of Earth and Marine Sciences, Neurosciences, Palaeontology, Space Engineering, and Cell Biology in recent years, and certainly have other common interests to work together as flagship research-intensive universities in the Northern region with vast land and similar food production systems.

(Text and photos provided by the Institute for International Collaboration)