Shizuoka University and SRM Institute of Science and Technology (India) Sign InSPIRE Program Agreement

The delegation first attended a send-off event for the first cohort of undergraduate students in the "InSPIRE-SI" program, who are preparing to travel to India for their training program. The students, who will travel to India in August, shared their aspirations for the trip as well as the project themes they plan to pursue there. The SRMIST Vice Chancellor offered encouraging words, assuring the students that SRMIST would have everything in place to welcome them and ensure a safe stay in India.

Afterward, together with Shizuoka University President Kazuyuki Hizume and executive members, the delegation held a signing ceremony for a program agreement establishing a collaborative framework for "InSPIRE," part of the MEXT "Inter-University Exchange Project." The presidents of both universities expressed their determination to further strengthen ties and bring the two universities' partnership—which has developed steadily since the academic exchange agreement was signed in 2013—into a new stage through InSPIRE. The signing ceremony drew coverage from television news crews, reflecting strong public interest in this initiative.

The delegation then visited the Faculty of Agriculture, where they held discussions with the dean and toured the facilities. Through these visits to research facilities, participants engaged in concrete discussions on future collaboration in their respective research fields.

This visit by the SRMIST Vice Chancellor and his delegation marked an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the two universities through InSPIRE. Going forward, further activation of researcher and student exchange is expected between SRMIST and the various faculties and graduate schools of Shizuoka University.