From 26 to 27 January, UNU Rector Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala and UNU-IAS Director Prof. Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi visited Akita and Niigata Prefectures to strengthen ties with regional universities and local governments, and to exchange views on education, history, and regional development.
The visit began in Akita, where the Rector traveled to Akita International University (AIU) and met with the university’s president, Prof. Monte Cassim, and vice presidents, Prof. Yoshitaka Kumagai and Mr. Ken Isogai. Discussions focused on the importance of education and cooperation with the global south. Prof. Marwala also delivered a special lecture titled “The Role and Challenges of the United Nations in a Turbulent Era” to students enrolled in a world history course as well as to the university’s faculty and staff members.
Following his engagements in Akita, the Rector traveled to Nagaoka City in Niigata Prefecture. On 27 January, he paid a courtesy visit to the Nagaoka City Office, where he met with Mayor Tatsunobu Isoda, Deputy Mayor Shinji Takami and senior officials in charge of regional revitalization. They exchanged views on industry-government-academia collaboration and concerns surrounding AI. Rector Marwala also heard about the story of “One Hundred Bales of Rice” – during a time of severe hardship in the late 1800s, Nagaoka’s leaders chose to use one hundred bales of rice not for immediate sustenance, but to invest in education — a decision that shaped the future of the city and became a celebrated story of strategic foresight.
During his stay in Niigata, Prof. Marwala also visited the Nagaoka University of Technology and met with vice presidents, Mr. Osamu Yamashita and Prof. Yukio Miyashita, as well as senior staff leading international cooperation and promotion of SDGs. They discussed the role and activities of universities in contributing to the SDGs. Following the meeting, the Rector engaged with university students working to promote the SDGs and also gave a special lecture on the theme of “AI, Sustainable Development, and the Future”.
The trip reaffirmed UNU’s commitment to working closely with universities and local stakeholders across Japan, recognizing the vital contributions of regional institutions in advancing education, international exchange, and sustainable development at both the local and global levels.
Since arriving at UNU in March 2023, Prof. Marwala has made it his mission to travel to, and deliver lectures in, all 47 prefectures of Japan. Upon completing this recent trip, Prof. Marwala has travelled to 27 prefectures and presented 24 lectures.
