The 21st Southeast Asia Network Forum, subtitled "Fostering Impactful Partnership for Research, Innovation, and Sustainable Development", was held in Los Baños in the Philippines on 8 February 2025.
The forum is held in collaboration with local Kyoto University alumni associations, which comprise former international students and others with a connection to the University. This marks the 39th forum including those held under its former title of the Southeast Asia Forum. This time, the forum was co-hosted by the Kyoto University Alumni Association in the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and the Kyoto University ASEAN Center. 172 people attended (8 online), including local academics and students.
The forum began with opening addresses by Dr Nur Azura Binti Adam, deputy director of SEARCA, and Dr Jose V Camacho, Jr, chancellor of UPLB. Those addresses were followed by a video message from President Nagahiro Minato and opening remarks from Executive Vice-President Tetsuo Sawaragi. Following the opening speeches, Professor Atsushi Wakamiya (Institute for Chemical Research) gave a keynote speech on research on perovskite solar cells and their social applications. After the keynote speech, three sessions were held covering different topics relating to the forum's theme. In session 1, titled "How do partnerships for research and innovation work and what can they help us achieve in our efforts to reach sustainable development?", Dr Shirley C Agrupis of the Commission on Higher Education gave a lecture. In the 2nd session, titled "How do we link research, policy, and communities for greater impact?", Professor Shuji Hisano (Graduate School of Economics) delivered a lecture. In the 3rd session, titled "Partnerships for greater impacts: disaster preparedness, climate change and resilience", Professor Tetsuya Sumi (Disaster Prevention Research Institute) and Dr Noralene M Uy of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources each gave lectures. Panel discussions were held in each session with academics from higher education and public institutions in the Philippines. After the second panel discussion, special messages were delivered by President Angelo A Jimenez of the University of the Philippines and Mr Shigehiro Matsuda, first secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and director of the embassy's Japan Information and Culture Center. The forum was then closed with addresses by Professor Eiji Nawata, director of the ASEAN Center, and Chancellor Camacho.
A lunch meeting was also held to discuss the future development of overseas alumni association activities and cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.
