University of Yamanashi Delegation Visits Southwest Jiaotong University in China

On March 14 and 17, 2025, a delegation from the University of Yamanashi visited Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. The delegation was led by Executive Director and Vice President Prof. Xiaoyang Mao (in charge of Global Promotion) and included Prof. Hiromitsu Nishizaki, Director of the Center for Promotion of Internationalization; Prof. Shinichi Muto, Director of the Regional Disaster Management Research Center; Assistant Prof. Liu Xingwei; Assistant Prof. Takeshi Nunomura; and five graduate students from our university.
The delegation first visited the Xipu Campus of Southwest Jiaotong University, where they were welcomed by Vice President Zhou Zhongrong (in charge of International Cooperation) along with Deputy Director of International Cooperation and Exchange Xu Junhua, Dean of the School of Transportation and Logistics Liu Xiaobo, Associate Professor Yang Ying (an alumnus of our university) from the School of Transportation and Logistics, Associate Professor Li Li from the School of Transportation and Logistics, Lecturer Luo Peng from the Japanese Language Department, and other relevant faculty and staff members.
At the beginning of the meeting, Vice President Zhou extended a warm welcome and introduced the history of Southwest Jiaotong University, its academic strengths, faculty structure, and achievements in international exchange.?He particularly mentioned the long-term faculty exchanges?and joint?research achievements between the School of Transportation and Logistics and our university, as well as the success of student exchange programs.?He expressed his hope?to further deepen the cooperative relationship between both institutions?and jointly advance the development of talented individuals with global perspectives.
Vice President Mao then provided an overview of our university, reflecting on the long history of cooperation since the beginning of academic exchanges in 1980, and emphasized recent achievements such as the dual degree programs with the School of Transportation and Logistics and the School of Foreign Languages. She also expressed that Southwest Jiaotong University is an important partner for our university and conveyed our intention?to further strengthen?and develop exchanges in?the fields of?transportation, logistics, and civil engineering.
The meeting continued with a screening of a promotional video about Southwest Jiaotong University, followed by a detailed explanation of the School of Transportation and Logistics by its representatives. Subsequently, representatives from both universities engaged in active discussions about talent development, faculty exchanges, joint research, and?future?prospects. In particular, Associate Professor Yang, an alumnus of our university, played a?bridging role?between the two institutions and proposed specific exchange programs.
As part of?the visit to the School of Transportation and Logistics, Professor Shinichi Muto delivered a special lecture.?The lecture introduced the latest research findings on TOD-type access transportation evaluation and AI-integrated models, using the Linear Chuo Shinkansen project in Yamanashi Prefecture as a case study. Professor Muto highlighted the similarities in urban structure between Chengdu and Kofu cities, sharing valuable Japanese experiences and knowledge for the ongoing TOD development in Chengdu. This lecture provided an important opportunity for international knowledge exchange in urban development?and brought?new perspectives to transportation infrastructure development in both cities.
Following this, Professor Muto and Assistant Professor Liu conducted an information session about the Dual Degree (DD) program between the two universities. They provided comprehensive information about the program overview, application requirements, curriculum, and other aspects, which generated numerous questions from students at Southwest Jiaotong University.On March 17, members of our delegation (Executive Director Xiaoyang Mao, Prof. Hiromitsu Nishizaki, and Assistant Prof. Takeshi Nunomura) visited the School of Foreign Languages to discuss the expansion of academic exchanges and student exchange programs between the two universities.
The meeting was attended by Dean Yu Senlin of the School of Foreign Languages, Professor Cao Xiangmin in charge of academic affairs, Professor Li Haizhen, Head of the Japanese Language Department, Lecturer Luo Peng from the Japanese Language Department, along with alumni of the exchange program and students scheduled for future exchanges.After Dean Yu introduced the School of Foreign Languages, Executive Director Mao explained the exchange student programs and the Japanese Language and Culture Training Program (Nikkensei) at the University of Yamanashi.
There were active discussions regarding expanding options for the duration of the Japanese Language and Culture Training Program, the possibility of sending students from the University of Yamanashi to Southwest Jiaotong University,?and creating opportunities for employment support?with Japanese companies and participation in employment promotion programs after advancing to graduate school.
Students from Southwest Jiaotong University showed high interest in employment with Japanese companies?and considered?the possibility of advancing to graduate programs at the University of Yamanashi and participating in employment promotion programs. The delegation also visited the School of Foreign Languages at Southwest Jiaotong University to discuss the expansion of student exchange programs between the two universities.

This visit has significantly contributed to deepening the long-standing cooperative relationship between our university and Southwest Jiaotong University and enhancing the quality of education and research at both institutions. We will continue to promote exchanges in various fields and advance the construction of an international education and research network.