From March 5 to March 11, 2026, Peter Lutes of the Kagawa University Faculty and Graduate School of Agriculture visited several universities in the Philippines to strengthen academic partnerships and explore new opportunities for collaboration in graduate education, research, and international exchange.
On March 5, Prof. Dr. Peter Lutes visited University of the Philippines Los Baños and met with Prof. Dr. Jomar Fajardo Rabajante, D.Sc., Dean of the Graduate School, to discuss restarting academic cooperation and identifying new opportunities for graduate collaboration between the two universities.
On March 6, meetings were held at University of the Philippines Open University with Prof. Dr. Jean A. Saludadez, Vice-Chancellor, and Roberto B. Figueroa Jr., Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, where discussions focused on potential areas for new academic cooperation and international collaboration.
On March 9, Prof. Lutes visited University of Santo Tomas and met with Dr. Bennett of the Department of Biological Sciences and Dr. Aguilar of the Internationalization Committee of the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and the Graduate School, to discuss possible future collaboration in research and student exchange.
On March 10, meetings were held with Associate Professor Ronald Allan L. Cruz, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Biology, together with faculty members and officials from the Office of the Assistant Vice President for University Partnerships and Internationalization, to explore opportunities for new academic initiatives and institutional cooperation.
Finally, on March 11, Prof. Lutes visited University of the Philippines Diliman and met with Prof. Dr. Sanchez, Dean of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (DFSN), College of Home Economics and their team, to discuss potential collaboration in food science research and graduate education.
These visits provided valuable opportunities to reconnect with existing partners and to establish new relationships with leading Philippine universities. Discussions focused on strengthening graduate education pathways, expanding research collaboration, and developing new frameworks for international academic exchange.
