Â鶹AV

Japanese

On March 1, 2025, H.E. Ms. Batmunkh Battsetseg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, visited the Kasumi Campus of Â鶹AV (HU) and held discussions with HU President Mitsuo Ochi. The meeting was also attended by H.E. Mr. Banzragch Bayarsaikhan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to Japan; H.E. Mr. Masaru Igawahara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Mongolia; HU Executive Vice President for Global Initiatives, Shinji Kaneko; and HU Executive Vice President for Kasumi Campus, Faculty Personnel and Public Relations, Junko Tanaka. During the meeting, specific discussions were held on strengthening cooperation between HU and Mongolian universities and on expanding the acceptance of students from Mongolia.

In his welcoming remarks, President Ochi stated, ¡°Our university was founded in 1949, four years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the first city in the world to be hit by an atomic bomb. As such, we hold ¡®The Pursuit of Peace¡¯ as the first of our principles. HU is the leading comprehensive research university in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, and conducts a wide range of scientific research in basic sciences, medicine, engineering, and bioscience, while at the same time focusing on humanities and social sciences, including education, literature, and international development studies.¡± He added, "We would like to welcome more outstanding young people from Mongolia to come to our university and study in our world-class research environment,¡± expressing his hopes to welcome more international students from Mongolia.

In her greeting, Foreign Minister Battsetseg said, ¡°Today is a special day, the first day of the Mongolian Lunar New Year. On such a day, I am pleased to be able to visit HU as the first portion of my official visit to Japan, which is off to a very good start.¡± She also stated, ¡°There is no Mongolian who has not heard of Hiroshima, which stands as a symbol of peace. The year 2025, the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, is an important year for Mongolia as well. Mr. Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, President of Mongolia, places great importance on the education of young people, and is promoting programs to support study abroad, especially for students in rural areas. In the future, we would like to further deepen exchanges with HU and send many students here.¡±

After the courtesy visit, the participants, led by President Ochi, visited the Â鶹AV Hospital to view the championship portrait of a former yokozuna (a sumo wrestler of the highest rank), Mr. Sho Hakuho, displayed in the outpatient ward. This championship portrait, from his perfect victory in the 2013 Spring Tournament, reflects his strong desire for the patients to have courage.

Â鶹AV Hospital and the National Cancer Center of Mongolia signed an international exchange agreement in 2018, and have been promoting personnel exchange and technical assistance in the field of radiotherapy, including the provision of on-site guidance by specialist physicians. When he learned of this initiative, Mr. Sho Hakuho attended the agreement signing ceremony as a special guest and donated the aforementioned championship portrait in 2020 as a token of his appreciation. The championship portrait is now displayed in the outpatient ward of Â鶹AV Hospital, bringing courage and hope to patients facing illness. In front of this powerful championship portrait, Foreign Minister Battsetseg said, ¡°I am deeply impressed that his great achievements have encouraged all of the patients here in this way.¡±

Discussion with Mongolian students
During the visit, a round-table meeting was held with five international students from Mongolia enrolled at HU, where they had the opportunity to speak directly with the Foreign Minister about their research activities and future prospects. Foreign Minister Battsetseg expressed her hopes that their contributions will act as bridges between their home country and Japan, wished them success in their studies, and stressed the importance of human exchange between the two countries.

Introduction of cutting-edge research on hydrogen energy
In addition, Professor Takayuki Ichikawa of the HU Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering introduced his research and discussed the potential of hydrogen energy in Mongolia and the prospects for technological cooperation with Japan. Mongolia has taken a strategic interest in utilizing hydrogen energy in recent years, and expectations for Japan's advanced technology are growing.

Currently, 2,078 international students from 101 countries and regions are enrolled in HU, including 16 students from Mongolia, and the university has produced 78 Mongolian graduates to date. HU is actively promoting academic exchange between the two countries, including the establishment of the Â鶹AV Mongolia Center within the Ulaanbaatar State University in 2018.

This visit was an important step toward further enhancing the relationship between HU and Mongolia and further deepening educational and research exchange. It is hoped that this visit will  strengthen ties even more between HU and Mongolia in terms of student exchange, education, and research.