A Ceremony and Symposium held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Chuo Pacific Office

On October 6, 2023, a ceremony was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Chuo University Pacific Office located at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), our partner university. The Chuo University Pacific Office was opened in the East-West Center on the premises of UHM, in December 2013, and has played a major role as a base for interaction between students and researchers of the two universities.

The ceremony was attended by Chief Executive Director, Chair of the Board, Masahiko Omura, President Hisashi Kawai, Vice President and the Director of the International Center Hiroshi Shirai, and Vice President and the Director of the Research Promotion Office Toshikazu Kato. Attending from UHM were, President David Lassner, Assistant Provost Brent White, Dean of the College of Engineering, Brennon Morioka, Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering Song K. Choi, and other honored guests who are related to exchanges with Chuo. In addition, Dr. Sylvia Yuen, former Executive Director of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH), who made an effort in opening the office in 2013, was also present.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Chief Executive Director, Chair of the Board, Masahiko Omura, who was involved in the opening of the office as Director of the International Center, spoke about the history of the opening and gave an address of gratitude to those involved at the University of Hawaii, followed by President Kawai, talked about the history of the exchange between two universities to date, and the prospects for future exchange between the two universities. Then, our guests, UH President David Lassner, Assistant Provost Brent White, and Dean of the College of Engineering Brennon Morioka, gave congratulatory messages on the 10th anniversary of the office and expressed their wishes for the continued development of the relationship between the two universities.

Later, they had a friendly talk over refreshments, and Vice President Shirai gave an explanation of the history of student exchange between the two universities and Chuo’s current situation, and Vice President Kato explained the progress of research exchange between both universities. The ceremony ended with greetings from the Pacific Office staff and their predecessors, and speeches from two Chuo students currently studying at UHM.

In addition to this ceremony, on Thursday, October 5 and Friday, October 6, University of Hawaii and Chuo University International Joint Symposium “Interdisciplinary Approach on Cognitive Diversity for Well-Being” was held and faculty members from both universities presented their research and actively exchanged opinions.

Through this commemorative ceremony and symposium, the relationship between Chuo and UHM has become even closer, and further educational and research exchanges are expected to develop over the next 10 years.