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The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration with the Institute of Urban Innovation, Yokohama National University in Japan on academic exchange and joint research programme.
The approval came after the MoU was studied by the University principal officers headed by Prof Charles Igwe, the Vice Chancellor on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
Prof Ike Onyishi, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, UNN who recommended and facilitated the signing of the partnership agreement, explained that the academic exchange will go beyond Sociology and Anthropology studies that was done in the time past, to staff and, students exchange and research collaborations.
Representing Yokohama University at the MuO signing event was Prof Hishashi Matsumoto, who according to Prof. Onyishi, was a PhD student of UNN between the years 2000 and 2002 in the Sociology and Anthropology Department.
The UNN Vice Chancellor who approved the proposal said it is a pleasant development for the academic institution.
Prof. Igwe charged them to go through all the due process to get right signatories to the MoU.
The VC added, “this is what academic studies or University business should look like and not incessant pretention on social media or going on strike so as not to agree to do anything academic.
“It should be an emotive and disciplinary kind of relationship and I support this move.
“In principle who wouldn’t support it? I am a product of this kind of relationship myself and I’ll always encourage it.”
He also advised that there should be a constant relationship like this between universities across the world.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe VC then told the Japanese professor who he prefers to call ‘Sese,’ that the university supports him and urged him to go back to Yokohama and inform the appropriate authority that it has been approved.
He, however, expressed hope that the relationship would yield results that will benefit both universities.
Prof. Onyishi also said that Prof Hishashi supervised Dr. Elizabeth Onogwu, a senior lecturer in English Department, UNN, in her English and Japanese studies at the Yokohama National University.
The Dean added that he wished that the partnership gets formalised and grows stronger and deeper between the two universities.
Talking about the past relationship encounter of the Japanese professor with Nigeria, Onyishi said, Masumoto “studied Mbaise people and town unions in Igbo land. He collaborated with a good number of people at the University for years.
“He has specifically worked with Prof P.J. Eze to publish a book in anthropology studies; worked with Prof James Ogbonna, Dr Elizabeth Onogwu of English Department, whom he supervised her PhD thesis at Yokohama National University Japan on English and Japanese language.”
Affirming his relationship with UNN, Matsumoto stated that he was a student of the University in the early 2000s when he came for research studies and thereafter, decided to initiate the partnership between Yokohama National University and UNN to have a formal bond with the institution.
He said that he will be delighted to see the partnership between the two universities come to reality.
