Visit of JICA President Tanaka to IPDRE
On 18 November 2025, JICA President Akihiko Tanaka and his delegation visited the International Platform for Dryland Research and Education (IPDRE) at Tottori University, where they held discussions on past international cooperation activities and toured research facilities in the presence of relevant faculty members as well as colleagues from Ethiopia and Sudan.
The meeting began with a welcome address by Tottori University Executive Director Kageyama, followed by remarks from President Tanaka, who was visiting the university for the first time. He expressed his expectations for strengthened collaboration in light of JICA’s future program development.
Next, Vice President Tsunekawa, Director of IPDRE, provided an overview of the International Platform for Dryland Research and Education and the Arid Land Research Center (ALRC). This was followed by presentations from Prof. Tsujimoto, Prof. Izzat, and Prof. Ayele, who introduced the international research projects led by Tottori University under JICA’s SATREPS program and the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Their presentations highlighted key achievements and future prospects of the projects, including Sudan’s initiative on the “Development of Climate-Resilient Wheat Production Technologies in Dry and Hot Agro-Ecosystems” and Ethiopia’s “Next-Generation Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project.” An active discussion then took place on how to promote “international brain circulation,” enabling trained human resources from these projects to contribute to capacity building and expansion in other regions. President Tanaka commented, “Tottori University’s initiatives embody the principle of not merely transferring Japanese technologies but collaboratively generating solutions and new knowledge. Even under the difficult conditions in Ethiopia and Sudan, I hope you will continue producing add-values that will have lasting value.”
After the discussion, President Tanaka toured IPDRE’s exhibition areas and research facilities, showing strong interest in the displays related to dryland science and materials illustrating on-the-ground conditions in partner regions.
This visit served as a meaningful opportunity to further strengthen collaboration between JICA and Tottori University, contributing to the advancement of dryland research and international cooperation. Following the visit to IPDRE, President Tanaka proceeded to Tottori University’s Koyama Campus, where he met with President Harada. Subsequently, a collaboration agreement between JICA and Tottori University was formally signed
