2026/9/14

On Friday, September 11, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS) and Kyoto University of Advanced Science (KUAS) held a signing ceremony for a comprehensive exchange agreement between the two institutions.

The agreement's aim is to develop graduates capable of serving in today's increasingly complex global society by jointly leveraging KUFS' strengths in areas such as language and international relations and KUAS' leading-edge, specialized education. In addition to a credit transfer system between the two universities, the agreement encompasses joint lecture courses, shared use of facilities and other collaborative efforts in a wide range of fields to provide new learning opportunities for students of both KUAS and KUFS.

KUFS representatives at the ceremony included Chair of the Board of Governors and President Toshiro Kita along with Vice Presidents Naoki Kondo and Atsuhito Kurozumi, while KUAS representatives included President Masafumi Maeda and Vice Presidents Osamu Tabata and Yoshihiro Tokuga.

The ceremony concluded with the presidents of both universities sealing their commitment to future collaboration with a firm handshake after signing the agreement. This was followed by a presidential greeting, during which Mr. Kita emphasized the importance of the new agreement, stating, "By bringing together completely disparate fields with very little overlap, we can learn from both sides to create new value."

KUAS Chairman Shigenobu Nagamori, who developed motors for high-performance hard disks as a researcher at the young company he founded, which would later become Nidec Corporation, reflected on his ties with the university dating back roughly 50 years and shared his hopes for the new agreement: "One development has led to another over the last 50 years, resulting in a place for students to learn. I encourage teachers to take prompt action when needed and produce results, and students to follow their curiosity by visiting the nearby partner campus and sitting in on lectures."

KUFS and KUAS both have campuses in the same area of Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City. Both universities intend to step up efforts aimed at vastly expanding the possibilities available to students through stimulating studies that transcend boundaries between the liberal arts and the sciences while also encouraging multicultural exchanges between international students. Moreover, by leveraging their respective strengths to the fullest, KUAS and KUFS plan to offer new styles of education and student development starting right here in Kyoto.

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