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 19th 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 organization 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
- UMass Amherst’s Delegation to HU in 2024
- UMass Amherst Provost’s Visit to HU in 2025
- University-wide Conferences
- 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 | 1. 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: 1. 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 |
Jointly-appointed Faculties
| Area | UMass Amherst | HU Counterparts |
|---|---|---|
| Big Data and IoT | Prof. Shlomo Zilberstein, College of Information and Computer Sciences | Faculty of Information Science and Technology – Collaborative Centre for Big Data and IoT |
| 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
| Area | Participants |
|---|---|
| University Libraries | Ms. Maxine Schmidt, Head, Science and Engineering Library, UMass Amherst (2012) |
Ms. Kyoko Jo, Hokkaido University Library (2015) | |
| Academics | Ms. Carol Will, Learning Commons Coordinator/Librarian, UMass Amherst (2018) |
Dr. Tetsuya Aikoh, Assoc. Prof, Research Faculty of Agriculture, HU – Visiting Researcher at UMass Amherst (2002-03) | |
Prof. Geunhwa Jung, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMass Amherst – Joint appointment with HU (2018-21) | |
Dr. Amanda Bayer, Extension Assist. Prof, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMass Amherst – Joint appointment with HU (2017-20) | |
| Administrative Offices | Long-term Educational Administrators Program (LEAP) Zbudgeted by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology |
| Technical Development Staff | Two-way staff development program at HU funded by the Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) (2025) Two-way staff development program at UMA funded by J-PEAKS (2026) |