Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan Visits Niigata University

Apr 11 2025

On Friday, April 4, 2025, Niigata University was visited by His Excellency Mr. Jean-Eric PAQUET, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and three other members from the delegation.

The delegation visited our Ikarashi campus to pay a courtesy call on the University's management, including President USHIKI Tatsuo, Executive Vice President KAWABATA Kazushige (in charge of strategic planning and social cooperation), Executive Vice President SUEYOSHI Kuni (in charge of research and postgraduate studies), and Executive Vice President SOMEYA Toshiyuki (in charge of global affairs), and exchanged views with them on possible EU-Japan research cooperation. President USHIKI introduced the cooperative relationship between the Sakeology Center at Niigata University and the Institute of Vine and Wine Science at the University of Bordeaux in France, and the Ambassador proposed the promotion of our research exchange with Europe using the EU's available funds and other sources.

Following the meeting, the Ambassador gave new students of the Faculty of Agriculture a special lecture titled "The EU and Japan—like-minded partners in a changing world." As the University has set the area of "food and health" as one of the priority areas in its research activities, we had asked the Ambassador, who has extensive experience in EU research policy, to give a lecture for new students who will explore agricultural studies.

In the lecture, Ambassador PAQUET explained the relationship between the EU and Japan to an audience of approximately 170 students, stressing the importance of studying agricultural science as a way to help solve major global problems such as climate change and current social challenges. At the end of the lecture, a first-year student from the Faculty posed a question in English about the role of agricultural science in conflict resolution, reflecting the students' deepening interest in how their field of study can contribute to society. Following the lecture, the Ambassador engaged in a discussion with international students majoring in agricultural science and actively exchanged views with them.

Later, Ambassador PAQUET met with the Faculty of Agriculture. Prof. ITOH Kimiko of the Faculty briefed him on her research results based on her joint research with the EU. The delegation also toured a laboratory for studies of plant viruses of the University and received an explanation of its research activities from Associate Professor MINATO Nami, who is conducting joint research with the Spanish National Research Council in Spain. Ambassador PAQUET actively interacted with laboratory researchers, undergraduates and graduate students of the Faculty who joined the tour, enthusiastically asking the researchers questions about their research as well as asking the students why they chose their field of research.