UGSAS-GU NEWSLETTERThe United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University

Natural Products Chemistry International Symposium(March 2 & 3, 2017)
UGSAS held the 6th international symposium on its campus. Prof. Tohru Mitsunaga(UGSAS) played a leading role and lead the symposium. A series of these symposiums
we have held for years is recognized as part of our continuous globalization action
named “IC-GU12”*1, which aims at fostering highly-skilled professionals at a doctorallevel with our allied universities in Asia. In this symposium, we pursued to build a newresearch network in the field of natural products chemistry and life sciences, and to promote our social contribution through establishing robust international cooperation.
During the plenary session, ten professors/researchers
invited from overseas universities (in Indonesia, Thailand,
Viet Nam, Bangladesh and Canada) and two researchers(Kyushu University and Ichimaru-Pharcos Co., Ltd.
among Industry Subcommittee*2) gave presentations
about their latest achievements, each of which were followed by a keen discussion with about 45 audience.
The symposium ended with a laboratory tour at Ichimaru-Pharcos Co., Ltd. (Gifu, Japan), one of the major research and development bases for natural raw material production in this area. While the participants visited their industrial laboratories, theyshared the most up-to-date information and technologies concerning raw materials.
*1 IC－GU12: "International Consortium of Universities in South and Southeast Asia for the Doctoral Education in
Agricultural Science and Biotechnology", which was created under the initiative of Gifu University.
*2 Industry Subcommittee: This committee is established in 2013 and has seven life and/or environmental sciencesrelated Japanese enterprises in the Tokay region. Its founding objective is to support the globalization of ourschool from industrial perspectives.

International Symposium on Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture 2017 (August 28-30)
Our school held the 7th international symposium on its
campus with a huge success and attendance of 59 people.
Following the welcome speeches by our dean, Prof. Masateru Senge, and Dr. Fumiaki Suzuki (Vice President, GifuUniversity), 16 invited researchers (China, Indonesia andVietnam) gave presentations, and other four Japanese researchers/professors (Okayama, Nagoya, Shizuoka and Gifu universities) gave keynotespeeches. Their presentation images and in-depth discussions were relayed in real timefor enthusiastic participants/students of our united party of Shizuoka University and allied
one of Sebelas Maret University (Indonesia) via teleconferencing.
After the symposium, 25 students (UGSAS, Rearing Program for Basin Water Environmental Leaders, and Master's programs of applied biological sciences, Gifu University)
joined and organized the Poster Presentation Session. In the session, some of our international students studying with the Japanese government fund(s) showed progress intheir study and proved effect of our instructions they received to date. Four students
were awarded the Best Poster Prize in the competition.
The last day, 17 guest researchers and eight teaching and supporting staffs participatedin "Study Tour" in Tanigumi area and Tokuyama Dam (Gifu, Japan), where they learned
under professional guidance about their irrigation system and highly technological water
management applied to one of the largestBest Presentation Award Winners
scale multi-purpose dam. The participants
Tran Duy Quan: D2 & Jobaida Akther: D2 (UGSAS)
were given a chance to deepen their underChen Siyu: D2 & Tharangika Ranatunga: D3standing of some tips in flood control and(BWEL: Gifu University Rearing Program for Basin Water
ideas of nature conservation embedded in
Environmental Leaders)Japan’s technologies.

Issue ６
January to December, 2017

MESSAGE from DEAN
Welcome to the sixth issue of UGSASGU Newsletter. Since 2012 we havebeen in the blast of keen enthusiasm
for founding the robust base of
our globalization.
After last 3 years of the busy project,
we have recognized the importance ofshifting our focus onto the quality ofproject “QOP”, so in 2017 we havebeen primarily allocating our resources
to practical workshops and symposiums for deeper discussions, and more
researcher/student exchanges insteadof grandiose events. As the result, ourlong-cherished Double PhD Degree
Program have started to function, andwe could also launch another jointlaboratory in Thailand.
We hope this issue will keep you updated on our efforts and activities forour alumni, currently enrolled students and faculty staffs who are successful in and out of Japan. It would
be very pleased if you would pay attention to our action and send yourprofessional
opinions to usfor further
globalization of
the UGSAS-GU.
Masateru Senge, Ph.D.
Dean

LATEST NEWS
Nov. *Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis(alumna) inaugurated as the7th President of Mariano Marcos State University (The Philippines)
Oct. *Ms. Jobaida Akther stated the Double PhD Degree
Program (DDP) as the firstchallenger for the program atUGSAS.
Aug., 2018 *The first Japanese
student will start challenging
the DDP at Chulalongkorn
University (Thailand).
March 7-8, 2018
*International Symposium on
Innovative Crop Protection was

The 4th International Workshop 2017 at Andalas University
Recent Postharvest Technology for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (July 17-18)

We held the 4th international workshop in Indonesia, which is an effort to promote theglobalization of our school and the network with local industry.
The workshop started with an opening remarks by our dean, a keynote speech by Dr. Ir.
Endry Martius, M.Sc, (Vice Rector, Andalas University), and IC-GU12*1 action report by Prof.
Ken Hiramatsu (Gifu). The plenary part of the workshop included three research presentations
by Prof. Kohei Nakano, Prof. Masaya Kato and Assistant Prof. Teppei Imaizumi (Gifu). Amongothers, two professors (Andalas) including Associate Prof. FeriArlius, and three professors (King Mongkut’s University, Thonburi) made research presentations. In addition, two company introduced their business specialized in seed production/marketingand IT industry. The workshop gathered a total of 121 participants from academia and industries, and they engaged in active
discussions and shared the information in the latest research.
Second day, the delegation (Gifu and Andalas) held an opening
ceremony for a newly opened joint laboratory “Lab Station” atAndalas University. They had an opportunity to observe theoperations of spectrophotometer and centrifuge newly equipped
by UGSAS. The lab is operated under the supervision of Dr. Ir.
Endry Martius (also Gifu University guest associate professor).
The lab is expected to function as a research base in the field ofpostharvest technology and teaching staffs and students of IC-GU12 member universities will
be seen there in the future.

Commencement Ceremony
March 13 & Sep. 22

UGSAS honorable students were conferreddoctoral diplomas, and the number ofstudents who graduated from March toDec. 2017 are as follows;
March: 16 students (8 intel. students included)June:

1 student (1)Sept.: 4 students (3)Dec.:

1 student(1)

Entrance Ceremony
April 14 and Oct. 6

The 5th International Workshop 2017 at Thuyloi Univ.
Recent Progress in Agriculture and Water Management in Asia (Nov. 27-28, Viet Nam)

As the first action after the school-level agreement concluded in 2015 between our schooland Thuyloi University, this workshop came into reality. It started with the remarks and keynote speeches by our dean and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Kim (Rector, Thuyloi), Prof. KenHiramatsu (Gifu University), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Canh Thai (Vice Rector, Thuyloi), andAssociate Prof. Iida Toshiaki (University of Tokyo,Japan). Then, ten research presentations were delivered by: Associate Prof. Takeo Onishi, Associate Prof.
Tatsuro Nishiyama and Assistant Prof. Keigo Noda(Gifu), Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Cao Don (Thuyloi), andthree former UGSAS students (Sebelas Maret andLampung, Indonesia, and University of Dhaka, Bangladesh). From Industry Subcommittee*2, Mr. Eiji
Chihara (Sanyu Consultants Inc., Japan) introduced
their business operations. At the end of the session, a first-year student (UGSAS) and a firstyear student (Graduate School of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu) reported their experienceand in research internship at Thuyloi University, which was facilitated by Sanyu Consultants
Inc. and came into actual internship opportunities in Vietnam. This is one of the successful
case of industry-academia cooperations seen among IC-GU12*1 actions.
The second day, our delegation was invited to observe BHH*3 irrigation system in the suburbs of Hanoi, where we received a guidance by Associate. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Canh Thai. They
studied the current irrigation conditions in Viet Nam, and importance of water resources there.
They also visited Hanoi University of Science and Technology (among IC-GU12 member), andour dean, Prof. Senge, and Prof. Nakano had a meeting with Associate Prof. Quan Le Ha (Headof School, Hanoi), Associate Prof. Nguyen Thi Minh Tu (Vice Dean, Hanoi) and Associate Prof.
Dr. Tran Lien Ha (Hanoi, also Gifu University guest associate professor). Our delegates introduced UGSAS ongoing programs/projects, and both parties agreed with further opportunity fordiscussions for the Double PhD Degree Program. * BHH：Bac Hung Hai Irrigation System

UGSAS welcomed new students at theceremony, and the number of students
enrolled are as follows;
April: 11 students (6 intel. students included)
Oct.: 15 student (15)IC-GU12 Information
Oct. 14-26 *International
Conference on Climate
Change (ICCC) was held withthe cooperation of Sebelas
Maret University (Indonesia)
Nov. 7-9 *The delegation ofSebelas Maret University paida courtesy visit to the president of Gifu University.

3

The 8th UGSAS Seminar(May 24)("TOBITATE! Young Ambassador Program”: Research Internship Report)

Four students introduced their research internship reports to a total of 42 audiences including
28 students, 24 teaching and other staffs and 6 representatives from Industry Subcommittee*2.
They vividly described the reality of research circumstances they experienced overseas, sometips and unexpected troubles in communication with advisors during the internship period, andhow to improve themselves with the experiences in the future. In addition, the students had an
opportunity to be informed of the industrial features and operations by five representatives of Industry Subcommittee. At the end ofthe seminar, the representatives and our students had a time for candid and sharp discussion on the features of expected employees atbusiness scenes.