Event Report

December 5, 2025
Kun Qian

    On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Kyushu University held the “KYUDAI NOW Ankara” forum in Ankara, the capital of the Republic of Türkiye. Organized by the Kyushu University Institute for Asian and Oceanian Studies (hereafter Q-AOS), this forum marked the second KYUDAI NOW event in the Middle East region following last year’s forum in Egypt. The event was supported by the J-MENA Project of Kyushu University’s Global Strategies Office, the Embassy of Japan in Türkiye, the Kyushu University Turkish Alumni Association (KUTAA), and the Turkish Japanese Universities Association. More than 100 participants from diverse backgrounds attended, including representatives of universities and research institutes in Türkiye, relevant ministries, industries, Kyushu University alumni, prospective students of Japanese universities, and their families.

    The opening session began with welcome remarks by Prof. Shuji Shimizu, Vice President of Kyushu University. This was followed by guest remarks delivered by H.E. Ambassador Korkut Güngen, the Acting Director-General for Bilateral Political Affairs (Asia-Pacific), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Türkiye and former Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Japan, and Mr. TAHARA Koji, the Deputy Chief of Mission from Embassy of Japan in Türkiye. Afterwards, Associate Professor QIAN Kun of Q-AOS introduced an overview of Kyushu University and Q-AOS, followed by a group photo session with all participants.

    The symposium consisted of two themed sessions: “Law & Medical Science” and “Engineering & Innovation.” Presentations were delivered by Associate Prof. OKI Yutaro, of the J-MENA Project; Prof. CHIKUI Toru of the Faculty of Dental Science; Associate Prof. ATSUMI Kazushige of the Faculty of Medical Sciences; Prof. NISHIHARA Masamichi of the International Research Center for Hydrogen Energy Prof. SUEHIRO Kaori of the Faculty of Human-Environment Studies; and Prof. FURUHASHI Hiroshi of Academic Research and Industrial Collaboration Management Office, Kyushu University and Kyushu University Open Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. These talks showcased Kyushu University’s cutting-edge research as well as its extensive activities in societal and industry–academia collaboration.

    Mr. Murat Hosoglu, a graduate of Kyushu University’s master’s program and currently serving at the Nuclear Regulatory Authority in Türkiye, spoke about his study experience at Kyushu University. The closing remarks were delivered by Prof. Mehmet Okan Akcam of Ankara University, representing Prof. Nejat Bora Sayan, President of Turkish-Japanese Universities Alumni Association, and the Chairman of the Turkish Japanese Foundation. Following the sessions, a reception was held at the same venue, where researchers and students from more than ten universities across Türkiye, along with participants from various sectors, engaged in active information exchange and deepened their networks through informal discussions.

    Before and after the KYUDAI NOW forum, the Kyushu University delegation conducted official visits to partner universities with which university-level agreements (MOU) have been established. On the afternoon of November 25, the delegation visited Middle East Technical University (METU); on the morning of November 27, Ankara University; and in the afternoon, Bilkent University. At each university, we held wide-ranging discussions with vice presidents, senior administrators, international offices, deans, and faculty representatives. In particular, the delegation visited facilities and university-affiliated companies involved in industry–academia and social collaboration, engaging in in-depth discussions about potential joint research and future partnership opportunities.