DAVAO CITY – Japanese Consul General Yoshiaki Miwa of the Consulate General of Japan in Davao has expressed his interest to help the University of the Philippines in Mindanao to build a science and technology park.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 6, the UP Mindanao said the Japanese official visited the campus in Barangay Bago Oshiro in Tugbok District "to express his interest in helping UP Mindanao establish a science and technology park."
"Consul Miwa took a campus tour led by Campus Architect Ellen Dorado and Campus Planning & Development chief Cherrylyn Cabrera," the University said.
Miwa met with the University officials led by UP Mindanao Chancellor Larry Digal and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Nilo Oponda. The University said Digal presented the expansion plans of UP Mindanao "including the upcoming academic programs, research thrusts, and campus development plans, and offered to arrange future meetings."
In 2019, the UP Mindanao bared its five-year academic expansion plan which targets to contribute to the development of Mindanao.
UP Mindanao is the only campus in the UP System which was created through a legislation - the Republic Act 7889, otherwise known as the University of the Philippines in Mindanao Act, which was enacted on February 20, 1995.
In his message during the 26th anniversary of the UP campus, Digal said the University is targeting to offer "16 new programs under three new colleges."
The plans also include the establishment of the UP Mindanao Botanical Garden and Park and the Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technology (KIST) Park.
The University added that the consul's visit and offer "align with UP Mindanao's plan to establish the (KIST) Park on the campus."
"Consul Miwa said Davao City has a sister city agreement with Kitakyushu City which has the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park operating with the collaboration of universities, research institutes, and industrial companies," it added.
In December 2017, Davao City and Kitakyushu City, Japan signed a memorandum of agreement for a green sister city cooperation. The signing was held during Mayor Sara Duterte's visit to Kitakyushu, a city in the Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan.