Representatives of Ukraine’s Igor Sikorksy Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) and their counterparts at the KPI Ukraine-Japan Center held an online meeting with officials of the municipal government of the Japanese city of Kobe in late October 2021 to explore areas for cooperation.
Among Japanese participants in the meeting were Mr. Deguchi, Director of the International Department; Ms. Morimoto and Levko Luchuk, International Department officers. They expressed interest in cooperating with international companies and institutions, as well as shared their insights on programs geared to encourage entrepreneurship and promote startups and innovation.
Representatives of the KPI International Collaboration Department, together with their colleagues at the Ukraine-Japan Center, gave the Japanese officials an overview of the University, as well as presentations on the science park Kyivska Politechnika, innovation ecosystem Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine and the Ukraine-Japan Center. Sergii Sidorenko, KPI Vice-Rector for International Relations, sketched out relations between Japan and the University, highlighting cooperation with Rigaku Corporation, as well as opportunities to share experiences and take internships in Japan.
At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed to exchange additional, actionable information and outlined next steps.
Kobe is one of the most modern and developed cities in Japan. It is famous for its technological and scientific achievements, therefore cooperation will be extremely useful for KPI. The city boasts the largest biomedical cluster in the country, containing more than 380 research institutions. Also, the city has the UNOPS-supported innovation center, which promotes projects in areas important to the United Nations.