On Friday, August 22, 2025, Rector Leda Florinda Hugo and Vice Rector Fred Charles Nelson of Lurio University, a partner university in the Republic of Mozambique, visited Ehime University.
First, Rector Hugo and Vice rector Nelson visited the Center for Disaster Management Informatics Research. Center Director Kinoshita Naoki and Associate Professor Ono Kohei guided them through the facilities of the Natural Disaster Research Division.
Next, they visited the Institute for International Relations (IIR), where they exchanged views on academic and student exchanges between the two universities with Executive Director and Vice President Mitsunobu Kazuhiro, Special Aide to the President Kobayashi Osamu, and Associate Professor Kurita Hideyuki.
They then moved to the Tarumi Campus (Faculty of Agriculture), where Associate Professor Fujiuchi Naomichi guided them on a tour of the plant factory facilities at the Advanced Agriculture R&D Center. At the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Fujiuchi explained his research on plant factories and greenhouses.
Following this, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to President Nishina Hiroshige at the Administration Building and held discussions with Executive Director and Vice President Mitsunobu, Special Aide to the President Kobayashi, Associate Professor Kurita, and Ms. Veronica A.A. Fernando (Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, Lurio University), a doctoral student at the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences.
During the meeting, Rector Hugo suggested support for degree acquisition and academic training for young faculty members at the Lurio University, as well as the implementation of short-term student exchange programs.
Furthermore, Vice Rector Nelson, who completed his doctoral program at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering in 2018 (earning his PhD), expressed his desire to advance the exchange between his alma mater – our university – and Lurio University to a new level.
This visit is expected to further deepen cooperation between the two universities and foster the development of greater international collaboration and exchange in the future.
＜Center for Disaster Management Informatics Research, Advanced Agriculture R&D Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute for International Relations＞