On Thursday, July 14, 2022, Minister-Counsellor (for Science and Technology) Ghaleeb Jeppie of the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Japan visited Suzaku Campus and met with Chancellor Yoshio Nakatani. Liaison Officer for Science and Technology Daisuke Tanaka was also present at the meeting, and together with Executive Trustee Norihisa Yamashita and Vice President Yoshifumi Noguchi, they exchanged views on the possibility of strengthening cooperation between Ritsumeikan and the Republic of South Africa.

　Led by Professor Hiroshi Ogasawara of the College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University has been conducting research on epicentral physics in gold mines in South Africa by way of JST's Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP).

　During the discussion, Minister Jeppie expressed his appreciation for Ritsumeikan’s collaboration on earthquake research with the University of the Witwatersrand and other universities in South Africa and the work we have done training students from South Africa. He also expressed his hopes for further collaboration with Ritsumeikan on issues such as globalization and increased private investment in R&D.
　Chancellor Nakatani expressed his ambition to "further deepen our collaboration with South African universities and research institutions in the promotion of education and research, including signing cooperative agreements with the University of Pretoria and the University of Johannesburg.”

　The topic of rugby and other sports-related exchange between the two countries was also discussed, and the atmosphere was friendly from start to finish, creating high expectations for further cooperation. At Ritsumeikan, we will continue our efforts to further globalize education and research.

* Masks were only removed to take the commemorative group photo.