Last July, Christophe Rochais, Vice President for Research and Innovation; Eric Leroy du Cardonnoy, Vice President for International Development; Julien Gibelin, a professor and researcher in nuclear physics; and Stéphanie Gouttry, International Development Officer, traveled to Japan. From Nagoya to Osaka, via Tokyo, Sendai, and Kyoto, the mission helped strengthen ties built over the years with several Japanese universities and explore new avenues for collaboration in the fields of health, nuclear physics, materials science, mathematics, and languages.
Cooperation Driven by Research
The UNICAEN delegation met with seven Japanese institutions, building on strong existing research ties between faculty members and researchers in both countries. These collaborations, often initiated by the researchers themselves, provide a key starting point for developing broader institutional cooperation.
At Nagoya University, the discussions built on existing scientific collaborations in medicine and health data. This meeting was made possible by Basile Chrétien, a pharmacologist at the University Hospital who is currently on leave to pursue a PhD in science at Nagoya University.
Discussions regarding graduate schools and laboratories also helped strengthen existing ties between UNICAEN researchers and their Japanese counterparts at the University of Tokyo, Tohoku University, and Kyoto University. These exchanges focused in particular on nuclear physics and mathematics.
The meeting with Shibaura Institute of Technology—a partner of the University of Caen Normandy since 2018—provided an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen an already well-established partnership, particularly in relation to student mobility, internships, and new joint initiatives.
The mission concluded with the signing of a cooperation agreement with Kindai University. This agreement marks a new milestone in the collaboration that has been developing for several years in the field of nuclear physics.
Meeting with the UNICAEN Community in Japan
An international mission also provides an opportunity to meet exchange students and, through their feedback, assess the value of the partnerships developed between the institutions.
At Shibaura Institute of Technology, the delegation met with Nathan and Lowan, second-year students at ESIX who had come to Japan as exchange students. This meeting gave the delegation an opportunity to gather their impressions of their stay, their academic experience, and their exploration of the country.
These encounters also included a meeting with a former American student from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, who had come to Caen as part of an inter-university exchange program. Several years ago, she completed a university diploma in French Studies. Now the head of the International Relations Office at Kansai Gaidai University, Lisa Fukuda shared a moving account of how study-abroad experiences can forge lasting bonds and sometimes lead to completely unexpected international career paths. The visit also provided an opportunity to sign the renewed agreement.
Fostering an International Community
These meetings illustrate an essential aspect of the University of Caen Normandy’s international outreach: behind the agreements, exchange programs, and research projects are, above all, people, personal journeys, and relationships built over time.
With visits to five cities, meetings with seven universities, and two agreements signed, this mission to Japan helped strengthen long-standing collaborations while opening up new opportunities. It also serves as a reminder that the value of international partnerships lies as much in the projects they make possible as in the personal journeys they help shape.
A big thank you to all our Japanese partners for their hospitality, their trust, and the quality of our discussions. ありがとうございます!
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