The 2nd SNU-KYUSHU Joint Symposium

Kyushu University and its important partner, Seoul National University (SNU), organized "The 2nd SNU-KYUSHU Joint Symposium" online from Thursday, June 17, through Friday, June 25, 2021.

In November 2019, the two universities reaffirmed each other as key partners and agreed to deepen their ties through hosting an annual joint symposium, the first of which took place in September 2020.

The second symposium, held this year, comprising multiple networking events for researchers, students, and administrators drew a total of over 900 participants despite the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. It was a great opportunity for both universities to strengthen mutual relations.

The first day’s plenary session began with welcome remarks by SNU President Se-Jung Oh followed by congratulatory remarks by Kyushu U President Tatsuro Ishibashi, introducing satellite sessions as a part of the symposium program.

Under the theme of "Digital Transformation in Higher Education," a keynote lecture with the title of "What do we prepare for the University 4.0 paradigm?" was given by Professor Hong-Gee Kim from SNU. From the Kyushu U side, Senior Vice President Koji Okamura delivered a keynote speech about his latest research project: "How COVID-19 changed network traffic."

During this period, 10 satellite sessions were held under the supervision of researchers from SNU and Kyushu U.

1. Changing climate and environment in East Asia
   Represented by Prof. Naoki Hirose, Research Institute for Applied Mechanics
2. Integrated Dentistry in the Future
   Represented by Prof. Eijiro Jimi, Faculty of Dental Science
3. Materials Science for Energy Applications
   Represented by Prof. Keiji Tanaka, Faculty of Engineering
4. Next Generation Anti-Cancer Strategies Targeting Tumor Microenvironment
   Represented by Prof. Koshi Mimori, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital
5. Nuclear Thermal-hydraulics and Safety
   Represented by Prof. Koji Morita, Faculty of Engineering
6. Role and Function of University Forests: past, present and future
   Represented by Prof. Hiroki Nagashima, Research Center for Korean Studies
7. Environmental and Regional Sustainability
   Represented by Prof. Shigemi Kagawa, Faculty of Economics
8. Tackling Legal Issues in the Age of Global Health Crisis
   Represented by Associate Prof. Ren Yatsunami, Faculty of Law
9. Updates of gastric cancer research and treatment
   Represented by Associate Prof. Eiji Oki, Kyushu University Hospital
10. Workshop in Number Theory
    Represented by Assistant Prof. Kenichi Namikawa, Faculty of Mathematics

On Friday, June 18, a staff development program was held, where staff members from the Library, Office of Institutional Researh, and Student Affairs engaged in lively discussions through talks on their work and a question-and-answer session.

Furthermore, a student exchange program "KOR-JPN Cultural Exchange Video Contest" was held on Thursday, June 24, introducing each country’s culture to achieve mutual understanding. Applicants were required to submit a 7-minute video in English under the chosen themes: Popular Music, Dining Culture, and College life. Twelve teams from Kyushu U entered the contest, and three teams were selected as excellent works in their respective themes.

1. Popular Music
   Title: Sakura Songs in Japan
   Name: Kaho Miyaji, Haruki Kanemaru, Law
2. Dining Culture
   Title: This is what I wanted to know!—Modern Japanese food culture—
   Name: Mami Matsuse, Economics
3. College Life
   Title: Limitless Experience
   Name: Dhiva Althaf, Nur Sabrina Binte M., Aiko Ishii Casas,
   Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation

Both Universities agreed to hold the 3rd SNU-KYUSHU Symposium in June 2022 hosted by Kyushu University.

Learn more about the 2nd SNU-KYUSHU Joint Symposium on the Global Gateways website.