Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Visits Toyosu Campus

The delegation included H.E. Mr. Pham Quang Hieu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to Japan; H.E. Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Vice Chairman of the Government Office of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; H.E. Ms. Nguyen Minh Hang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; H.E. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tu, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; H.E. Prof. Dr. Le Quan, Deputy Minister of Education and Training of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; and H.E. Prof. Dr. Bui The Duy, President, Viet Nam National University, Hanoi, among other distinguished figures from the government and academic sectors.

Since its founding in 1927, Shibaura Institute of Technology has built a strong record of education and research in the fields of engineering, information technology, robotics, and AI. As an institution selected for the Top Global University Project of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Institute partners with some 200 universities around the world. With Viet Nam, it has developed wide-ranging cooperation—including student exchange, joint research, and the development of human resources in fields such as AI, IoT, robotics, and digital transformation—with universities and institutions such as Viet Nam National University, Hanoi; Hanoi University of Science and Technology; and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.

At the meeting, Chairman of the Board of Directors Takeo Suzumi delivered welcome remarks and spoke on the importance of the Japan–Viet Nam partnership. Vice President Hitoshi Nakamura introduced the Institute's record of exchange with Viet Nam. Placing importance on cooperation with the ASEAN region, the Institute has established a scholarship program for the region; in particular, he explained that 52 outstanding Vietnamese students have been awarded doctoral degrees by the Institute, many of whom are now active as university faculty members and researchers at the Institute and at universities in Viet Nam. In addition, Chairman Suzumi conveyed to the Deputy Prime Minister the Institute's intention to further expand its scholarship quotas in order to help cultivate Vietnamese researchers.

During the subsequent tour of research facilities, the delegation visited the laboratory of Associate Professor Gabriele Trovato—home to Pham Gia Hung, a second-year student enrolled in the Innovative Global Program (IGP) of the School of Engineering, where students can earn a bachelor's degree in engineering entirely in English—as well as "Techno Plaza," a facility that brings together the Institute's advanced research equipment. The delegation listened with keen interest to an explanation of the conversational robot that Pham Gia Hung is researching.

Shibaura Institute of Technology has long maintained extensive exchange with Vietnamese universities and research institutions, as well as with the Vietnamese community in Japan. This visit by the Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation served as an occasion for the Institute's education and research activities to attract international attention. The Institute will continue to deepen educational and research cooperation between Japan and Viet Nam, and remains committed to cultivating global science and engineering professionals who will thrive on the international stage.