ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø welcomed an agricultural trade mission from North Carolina, U.S. at Toyoda Auditorium on April 4, 2025. The delegation was led by Zane Hedgecock, Chief of Staff at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and included elected members of the state general assembly, directors of agricultural product associations, farm owners, and business leaders.
After opening remarks by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø President Naoshi Sugiyama, Dean of the Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences Mikio Nakazono introduced agricultural advancements from researchers at the university. This event was part of an eight-day trip to Japan that was organized to help participants understand the Japanese market and think about new avenues for future collaboration.
The visit underscored the ongoing intellectual exchange between ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and North Carolina State University (NC State), one of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s strategic partner universities. From 2019 to 2023, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø sent 38 faculty members and 207 students to participate in the academic community at NC State.
Steven A. Lommel, Associate Dean and Director of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State, served as a member of the delegation. He stated that the partnership with ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø was “with certainty” the most successful among NC State’s international engagements, crediting the strong commitment from both institutions.
President Sugiyama plans to further strengthen this partnership with a visit to NC State during his trip to the U.S. in fall 2025.
