On December 10, Dalian University of Technology - Yokohama National University Exchange Day was successfully held online.

Guo Dongming, President of Dalian University of Technology (DUT), emphasized that Yokohama National University is one of our closest partner universities in Japan, and over the years, the two universities have carried out various forms of friendly exchange activities. It is expected that the two universities will jointly promote the "Schoolfellow Friendship" Initiative, and make more contributions in the field of higher education to serve the general situation of friendship between China and Japan for generations.

Umehara Izuru, President of Yokohama National University, said that DUT has a high reputation for cooperation with Japanese universities, and the two universities have achieved fruitful exchange results under the "Schoolfellow Friendship" Initiative. He expressed his gratitude for DUT's generosity in supporting Yokohama National University with masks during the most severe period of the COVID-19. He hoped to continue to deepen the cooperation with DUT in the future and provide an effective platform for friendly exchange between teachers and students of both universities.

After the meeting, the presidents of the two universities met online and held talks on the future extensive and in-depth cooperation between the two universities.

Todoriki Ken, Director of the Consular Office of Japan in Dalian, expressed his heartfelt respect for this innovative form of online exchange between DUT and Yokohama National University under the background of the COVID-19 epidemic, and expressed his appreciation to Dalian City and DUT for the importance they given to the exchange and cooperation with Japan. He also hoped that the two universities will continue to contribute to the educational cooperation between the two countries.

Haruko Yoneyama, Executive Director of Japan Science and Technology Agency, expressed her heartfelt respect for DUT's long-term commitment to Sino-Japanese university cooperation and exchange. DUT is the university with the largest number of students participating in the Sakura Science Exchange Program, and Yokohama National University is the university that receives the largest number of Chinese students. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, and she hoped the two universities will continue to deepen their cooperation.

At the meeting, Guo Dongming and Umehara Izuru exchanged souvenirs of cooperation between the two universities, and Luo Zhongxuan, the University Leader for International Affairs of DUT, presented an appointment letter to Xu Haoyuan as the representative of overseas cooperation of DUT.

After that, Yu Chen from the International Strategy Promotion Organization of Yokohama National University, and Li Xiaodan, the deputy director of International Office of DUT, introduced the international exchange cooperation policies of the two universities respectively. Representatives of students from both universities who have participated in short-term exchange programs at each other's universities shared their experience of participating in student exchange programs. Naohiko Iwata, head of Kanagawa Economic and Trade Office, introduced the development of a Japanese company in Dalian City.

In the afternoon, the "Sakura Science Exchange Program", a student exchange program supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency, was launched online, led by International School of Information Science and Technology of DUT and Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences of Yokohama National University.