By Office of International Affairs
21 April 2026: The President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Prof. Pai-Chi Li, undertook an official visit to Japan on 14 April to strengthen long-standing cooperation with key government institution and university.
During his visit, President Li paid a courtesy call to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Japan, where he met with Mr. Kato Yota, Director of the Country Assistance Planning Division I, International Cooperation Bureau. President Li expressed sincere appreciation to the Government of Japan for its continuous and long-term support to AIT.
A major highlight of the discussion was the impact of Japanese Government Scholarships at AIT. To date, approximately 942 students from nearly 29 countries across Southeast and South Asia have benefited from these scholarships. Many alumni now serve in influential roles within universities, government institutions, private sector organizations, and international agencies worldwide, with some contributing to companies in Japan.
The AIT delegation included Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto, former President of AIT, and Dr. Sumana Shrestha, Director of the Office of International Affairs, Office of Development and External Affairs. Prof. Yamamoto highlighted AIT’s extensive international network and emphasized the importance of secondment opportunities for young researchers. Dr. Shrestha noted that AIT–Japan cooperation spans over 56 years, with ongoing partnerships involving Japanese universities and private companies that continue to deliver mutual benefits.
Both sides discussed prospects for expanding collaboration through new initiatives aligned with the Government of Japan’s 17 priority development themes, signaling a shared commitment to addressing regional and global challenges.
From MoFA, Mr. Kato was accompanied by Mr. Makino Yoshiaki, Deputy Director and Ms. Saika Moriya, Assistant Director, Country Assistance Planning Division I, International Cooperation Bureau.
As part of the visit, President Li also met with Prof. Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo (UTokyo). The meeting focused on enhancing existing partnerships and exploring new collaborative opportunities, including faculty secondment, integrated master’s-to-doctoral degree programs, and student exposure visits. Both institutions also reaffirmed their commitment to continuing joint activities such as student and faculty exchanges, conferences, seminars, and collaborative research projects.
Senior representatives from the UTokyo, including Prof. Kaori Hayashi, Prof. Kouhei Tsumoto, and Prof. Hiroshi Toshiyoshi, also participated in the discussions.
In addition, Dr. Shrestha held meetings with other Japanese partners, including the Ministry of Environment, focusing on possible research projects, University of Yamanashi, focusing on renewing institutional agreements and identifying new collaborative activities. A brief meeting was also conducted with New Space Intelligence (NSI) to advance ongoing and planned initiatives between NSI and AIT.
The visit reaffirmed AIT’s strong partnership with Japan and highlighted new opportunities to deepen cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation, further strengthening regional and global collaboration.
