Written by: KC Abella
The School of Management of the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) and the Faculty of International Agriculture and Food Studies of the Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), Japan, formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Academic Cooperation on March 11, 2026, at the Gaisano Room, UP Mindanao, marking a new milestone in international collaboration in the fields of agriculture, agribusiness, and food studies.
The agreement was signed by UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni E. Murao; Kenji Irie, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of International Agriculture and Food Studies of Tokyo NODAI; Aurelia Luzviminda Gomez, PhD, Dean of the UP Mindanao School of Management; and Nina N. Shimoguchi, PhD, Secretary of the Department of Agribusiness Management at Tokyo NODAI.
The MoU aims to foster academic excellence and strengthen international cooperation between the two institutions through collaborative research, exchange of faculty and students, and the sharing of scientific materials, publications, and information.
According to Dean Kenji Irie, UP Mindanao is only the second university in the Philippines to establish a partnership with Tokyo NODAI, following the University of the Philippines, Los Baños.
During the signing, Chancellor Murao expressed her gratitude for the partnership and highlighted the strong common ground between the two universities. She noted that while Tokyo NODAI has around 12,000 students and UP Mindanao has about 1,700, both institutions share similar academic strengths and directions, particularly in agriculture, agribusiness, and food-related studies, providing many opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
“We have many points of convergence…our School of Management offers the Agribusiness Economics program, and beyond that, many of our programs contribute to agriculture and food systems, including Food Science and Chemistry and the Biological and Environmental Sciences. We also conduct research related to agriculture through initiatives such as the Philippine Genome Center Mindanao.” Chancellor Murao said
She added that the collaboration provides an opportunity to deepen international academic engagement while also introducing partners to the distinct context of Mindanao.
“We would also like to bring in foreign individuals (colleagues and partners) to see what is happening in Mindanao…Mindanao has a special context and is a unique place, particularly in terms of agriculture and food culture.”
Among those who witnessed the signing were UP Mindanao Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ma. Stella Salazar, faculty and staff from the UP Mindanao School of Management; former UP Mindanao Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Annabelle Novero; Marilou Montiflor, Director of the Office of Research and Mr. Tetsuji Yukawa, Manager, Carmen Sunrise Exporters, Inc. & Vice-President, The Japanese Chamber of Mindanao, Inc.
The newly established partnership between UP Mindanao and Tokyo University of Agriculture is grounded in a shared vision of innovation and mutual growth. Through this agreement, both institutions will pursue joint research addressing key agricultural challenges, facilitate student and faculty exchanges, and promote knowledge-sharing through workshops, seminars, and conferences. Together, the collaboration aims to advance agriculture, agribusiness, and food systems in the Philippines and Japan, contributing to regional resilience and sustainable development.