Hokkaido University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst Collaborations

The connection between Hokkaido University (HU) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) dates back to the time of their respective roots in the 19^th century: Sapporo Agricultural College and Massachusetts Agricultural College, which foundation was cultivated by Dr William Smith Clark the third president of Massachusetts Agricultural College and the vice president of Sapporo Agricultural College.

Since 2015, two universities have started promoting its research collaborations and exchange of academics and graduate students in fields of Agriculture, Information and Computer Science, and Polymer Science through the framework of the Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), HU, the faculty organisation directly managed by the University President.

• • • • Visits by Leaderships
            – HU’s Presidential Delegation to UMass Amherst in April 2023
            – UMass Amherst’s Delegation to HU in May 2023
               HU / UMass Amherst / Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering
            – UMass Amherst’s Delegation to HU in 2024
• University-wide Conferences
  The kick-off conference held on 31 January 2024: HU-UMA Virtual Symposium on Polymer Science and Engineering
• HU-UMA Joint Research Seed Fund
  Guidelines (English / Japanese) / Application Form / Budget Sheet
  

  
  

  FY 2025
  

  #	Selected Research Proposal	HU PI	UMA PI
  1	How mechanical environments regulate collective cell migration	Prof. Toshiro Ohashi, Faculty of Engineering	A/Prof Yubing Sun, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  2	Thermal analysis of hydrogels that glassify at high temperature using ultrafast DSC 2. Development of multi-element-doped porous carbon materials derived from industrial lignin hydrogel	A/Prof Takayuki Nonoyama, Faculty of Advanced Life Science	Dr. Reika Katsumata, Assist. Prof, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
  3	Promotion of Applied and Conservation Endocrinology for sustainable aquaculture and fish conservation: Direct effects of light on pituitary hormone release in salmonids 2. Utility of stress/growth markers for farmed and wild fish	Prof. Munetaka Shimizu, Faculty of Fisheries Sciences	Adjunct Prof Steve McCormick, Department of Biology; A/Prof Lisa Komoroske, Department of Environmental Conservation
  4	AI-driven Precision Agriculture for Sustainable Blueberry Production: Prediction Growth, Yield, Quality, and Optimal Harvest Timing via Deep Learning	Prof. Yoichiro Hoshino, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere	Dr. Jianyu Li, Ext. Assist. Prof, Stockbridge School of Agriculture
  5	Sustainable Synthesis of Polymers: Advanced Designs for Circularity	Prof. Toshifumi Satoh, Faculty of Engineering	Prof. Bryan Coughlin, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
  6	A collaboration analysing end of empire migration through Hakata port (Fukuoka prefecture) between 1945 and 1947 in the context of urban and transnational history	Dr. Jonathan Bull, Lecturer, Research Faculty of Media and Communication	A/Prof Garrett Washington, Department of History
  7	Balancing the conservation of marine biodiversity and sustainable use of coastal ecosystems – collaborations of Gloucester Marine Station and Akkeshi Marine Station	Prof. Masahiro Nakaoka, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere	Dr. Katherine Kahl, Ext. Assist. Prof, Gloucester Marine Station

• HU-UMA Suggested Research Center Alignments
• Jointly-appointed Faculties
  

  Area	HU Counterparts	UMass Amherst
  Big Data and IoT	Faculty of Information Science and Technology – Collaborative Centre for Big Data and IoT	Prof. Shlomo Zilberstein, College of Information and Computer Sciences
  		Prof. James Allan, College of Information and Computer Sciences
  		A/Prof. Amir Houmansadr, College of Information and Computer Sciences
  		A/Prof. Subhransu Maji, College of Information and Computer Sciences

• Staff Exchange