On October 15, 2025, faculty and staff members of the University of Tsukuba held discussions with guests from the University of Groningen and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan to explore possibilities for future collaboration.
Arranged by the University of Tsukuba’s Bochum Office, the meeting welcomed Mr. Tim Zwaagstra, Senior Policy Adviser International Strategy & Relations at the University of Groningen, and Mr. Sebastiaan Den Bak, Education and Science Attaché at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan, to the Tsukuba campus.
They engaged in active discussions with Professor Akira Uedono (Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences / Regional Director for European Liaison Officies), Professor Shinji Kuroda (Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences / Project Leader of the International Cooperative Education Program with EU Universities for Interdisciplinary Fields of Nano-, Quantum-, Information-, and Bio- Technologies), Professor Takeaki Sakurai (Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences / Executive Officer, Research Management Office), and Associate Professor Yukie Sato (Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences), focusing on the potential for future academic collaboration between the two universities and between Japan and the Netherlands more broadly.
The Bochum Office, in collaboration with the University’s French offices, continues to play an active role in strengthening academic ties not only with Germany but also with neighboring European countries. This meeting is expected to serve as a catalyst for further collaboration with institutions in the Netherlands.
