Osaka University North American Center for Academic Initiatives visited the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), Global Knowledge Partner of Osaka University (OU) in late July 2022. The goal of the visit was to reinvigorate student exchanges and research collaborations that have languished during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From OU, Scott North (Regional Director) and Yu HIGASHISAWA (Liaison Officer) held discussions with members of UC Davis’s Division of Continuing and Professional Education: Dr. Anneli Adams (Associate Dean, International and Access Programs) and Nari FUJITA (Director of New Academic Initiatives and Destination Davis, International Programs). Together, they explored short-term study program opportunities for OU students and staff.

Additional talks sought to identify areas for research collaboration. The primary interlocutor was Distinguished Professor Daniel Sperling, founder of UC Davis’s Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and Economy, and its Institute of Transportation Studies.
Professor Sperling emphasized the importance of combining engineering knowledge with the understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions of resource and transportation issues. From UC Davis, Dr. Gil Tal (Director of The Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center, Institute of Transportation Studies) and Acting Executive Director Alan Meier (Energy and Efficiency Institute) also offered suggestions for how UC Davis and OU might collaborate through co-authored grant applications and review papers, workshops, and corporate “soft” funding for international researcher visits.

Professor Emeritus Raymond Rodriguez of UC Davis, who was awarded an honorary degree by OU in 2021 in recognition of his many contributions to science and US-Japan relations, graciously gave his time to meet with the OU delegation.

At the conclusion of the visit, Director North and Ms. HIGASHISAWA conferred with members of UC Davis’ Global Affairs: Professor Joanna Regulska (Vice Provost and Dean of Global Affairs), Dr. Michael Lazzara (Associate Vice Provost of Academic Programs and Partnerships), and Tom Rosen-Molina (Global Partnerships Manager), who was recently named to lead the partnership with OU. Together, they drew up a “wish list” of areas for expanding collaboration, including research on smart cities, energy efficiency and transportation, public health, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) SDGs education. Also discussed were programs that help faculty on both sides fund collaborations, such as UC Davis’s seed grants for creating research partnerships, and possibly the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s (JSPS) support for international meetings.

(From left to right) Dr. Gil Tal, Professor Daniel Sperling, Regional Director North, Dr. Yongsng Lee