Welcoming Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane - State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan to Can Tho University

On August 11^th, 2018, Can Tho University (CTU) was honored to welcome Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the delegation of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, and JICA Vietnam to visit CTU and learn about the University and the projects funded by the Government of Japan and currently implemented at CTU. Welcoming and working with the delegates was Prof. Dr. Ha Thanh Toan, Rector; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, Chairman of CTU's Board of Trustess; Vice Rectors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Viet Dung and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Tinh; and leader representatives of CTU's units.

CTU welcomed State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan

At the meeting, representatives of CTU, Prof. Dr. TS. Ha Thanh Toan, Rector of the University sent a warm greeting to the State Minister and the delegation, at the same time, briefly introduced about CTU, the achievements that the University has achieved in all fields, especially international cooperation in human resource development and scientific research projects.

Founded on June 31^st, 1966, CTU is a key multi-disciplinary university located in the heart of the Mekong Delta. The University has 16 faculties, 03 research institutes, 18 centers, 14 departments, 01 high school and 01 science and technology company with about 2,000 staff members and nearly 47,000 students. CTU offers 98 undergraduate, 45 master and 16 doctoral programs. As one of the top five universities among the 400 universities nationwide, CTU is delighted to attain high positions on the world rankings, accordingly, the University is ranked third in Vietnam, ranked 57^th in Southeast Asia by Webometrics Rankings of World Universities (in July 2018) and ranked in the top 301-350 in Asia by QS Asian University Rankings.

Prof. Dr. Ha Thanh Toan, Rector of CTU, welcomed the delegates and introduced about the University

Targeted to become one of the leading universities in Vietnam and be recognized as one of the leading universities in the Asia-Pacific region for training and scientific research by 2020, the University has established cooperative relationships with many international organizations, universities, research institutes and businesses through more than 250 signed memoranda of understanding, of which the memoranda of understanding signed with Japanese partners accounted for 20%. As a result, cooperation between CTU and Japanese partners has been established since early 1990s. The partnership has been strengthened through training, scientific research and practical projects. Up to now, CTU has implemented more than 25 projects with Japanese partners.

Thanks to these collaborative projects, the University's infrastructures have been upgraded, and the research capacity is enhanced to contribute to the development of the Mekong Delta through sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protection, rural development and socio-economic development. Many conferences, workshops and seminars are organized, and articles published in international journals are the remarkable outputs of the projects. In particular, the implementation of CTU Improvement Project using ODA loans from Japanese Government has contributed to strengthening the relationship and broader cooperation network with Japanese partners. CTU wishes to receive stronger and stronger support from Japanese partners in expanding the cooperation relationship in the coming time.

Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, in his speech at the meeting

In a friendly and open atmosphere, Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane sincerely sent thanks for the warm welcome of CTU for the delegation. He said that this was his third visit to Vietnam as State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. This expressed his love for the country of Vietnam. The first visit to Can Tho of the Mekong Delta has left a strong impression on Vietnam and the feeling of being touched by the actual sight of the Mekong Delta instead of the description on books when he was a student. He shared that CTU is known as the leading university in Vietnam, especially in agriculture, aquaculture and environment. Especially, the University is holding the thesis on Vietnamese goby conducted by Japanese emperor.

Vietnam is known as a major exporter of rice, accordingly, the Mekong Delta plays a great role as a granary of Vietnam, but a region heavily affected by climate change. Therefore, Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane supposed that the sustainable and comprehensive development of Vietnam is very important for peace, stability and prosperity of the Mekong Delta. He affirmed that the Japanese side will continue to cooperate for the development of the Mekong Delta through ongoing projects, including the CTU Improvement Project.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Minh Duc, Deputy Director of ODA Project Management Unit, CTU, reported the implementation of the projects to the delegation

Prof. Dr. Ha Thanh Toan presented a souvenir to the State Minister

The delegation visited CTU's Traditional Room

The State Minister had a look at the Japanese emperor's thesis respectfully displayed  in the Traditional Room

Prof. Tsunoda Manabu, Chief Advisor of the Technical Cooperation Project, introduced the construction items under the CTU Improvement Project

The State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan plant trees to commemorate his visit to the University

(Information and Network Management Center)