Presidents of over 20 Universities Worldwide Meet at SUN, Vietnam

January 12, 2018

From Wednesday the 8 ^th until Sunday the 12 ^th of November, the Silk Road Universities Network (SUN), which TUFS is affiliated with, held their 3 ^rd General Assembly at the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. TUFS President Hirotaka Tateishi and Professor Izumi Niwa (current member of the SUN organizing committee) attended this event.
SUN is a network of universities built atop the ancient Silk Road, and was created in 2015 with the aim of keeping the ancient Silk Road spirit (of respecting other cultures, connecting, and fair trade) alive. Currently there are 60 affiliated universities in around 25 different countries. Starting with the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the executive office of SUN, SUN has 16 partner universities.
At the assembly, an introduction to the new affiliated universities and their activities up until now was given, followed by a discussion of the overall plan of action from here on out. At the information exchange meeting, opinions on new exchange possibilities were vigorously exchanged by the presidents of each university. It is hoped that based on the spirit of Silkroadia, student and researchers relations and the network can spread on a bigger geographical and historical scale.

Coinciding with the Vietnam visit, a signing ceremony for the renewal of the Academic and Student Exchange Agreement between TUFS and the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities was held on the first day of the assembly, Wednesday the 8 ^th of November. The ceremony was attended by TUFS President Hirotaka Tateishi and Vietnamese language department head lecturer Munehiro Nohira (TUFS Institute of Global Studies), and a discussion on the expansion of exchanges, in particular of upcoming student exchanges, was held. The Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities first signed an Academic and Student Exchange Agreement with TUFS in 2012, and has since been actively conducting exchanges with TUFS. Currently, there are two students from the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities on exchange at TUFS. Thanks to the discussion held this time, it seems that further advances in exchanges between our universities will be possible.