On December 10, three young researchers participating in the 2025 “Young Female Scientist Programme in Japan: Joint Research and Training Course for Young Female Researchers from Developing Countries,” jointly organized by Okayama University and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), paid a courtesy visit to President Yasuto Nasu.

The visiting researchers were Ms. Vivian Philemon Mushi (Tanzania), Assistant Lecturer, Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; Dr. Olga Alejandra Zamora Jerez (Guatemala), Director of the Biotechnology Research Center, Institute of Research, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, and Senior Lecturer; and Ms. Katherine Ivette Calderón Mayo (Peru), Researcher in the Research and Development Division of FARVET and Doctoral Candidate in the Health Sciences Program at the National University of San Marcos.

They were accompanied by their respective host supervisors: Professor Toshimitsu Hatabu (Agriculture, Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology Area), Professor Taku Takahashi (Science, Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology Area), and Professor Tomoyuki Honda (Medicine, Institute of Academic and Research).

During the courtesy visit, President Nasu outlined the objectives of the programme and emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). He engaged in discussions with the researchers on the current status and challenges of gender gaps in their respective countries. The visiting researchers and their host professors also introduced their ongoing research projects and future plans.

At the luncheon meeting that followed, the participants engaged in friendly discussions with President Nasu and the host faculty members, sharing their motivations for joining the programme and their impressions of life in Okayama.
On the same day, they visited Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle, where they appreciated traditional Japanese landscapes and experienced aspects of Japanese culture, including tasting matcha.

Okayama University and UNCTAD concluded a comprehensive partnership agreement in January 2020 to promote human resource development in Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI for SDGs), marking the first such agreement between UNCTAD and a university worldwide. Under this agreement, the Young Female Scientist Programme in Japan provides short-term joint research and training opportunities (approximately two weeks to one month) for young female researchers from eligible countries in Africa, ASEAN, and Latin America. This fiscal year, the first year of expansion to Latin America and Caribbean, three participants—including the two researchers mentioned above—have joined the programme from the region.

Okayama University will continue to strengthen collaboration with UNCTAD, the United Nations focal entity for STI for the SDGs, and actively promote human resource development initiatives that advance STI for SDGs from Okayama to the world.

◯ United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Established in 1964 and headquartered in Geneva, UNCTAD is the United Nations body responsible for trade, development, finance, investment, technology, and sustainable development issues. It works to maximize trade, investment, and development opportunities for developing countries, supporting them in addressing challenges arising from globalization and integrating into the global economy on an equitable footing.