𝗨-𝗧𝗼𝗸𝘆𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗖𝗣𝗦𝗨 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿

University of Tokyo (U-Tokyo) Professor Emeritus, Dr. Toru Nakanishi and thirteen U-Tokyo students visited Central Philippines State University – Main Campus last August 25 as part of their study tour.

CPSU President, Dr. Aladino C. Moraca led the campus tour for the U-Tokyo visitors, introducing the existing projects of the university and how the projects are being translated into the community as income-generating opportunities for the underprivileged.

The University of Tokyo also nicknamed as U-Tokyo and Todai was established in 1877 as Japan’s first imperial university and is one of the country's most storied and prestigious higher education establishments.

“Under our university’s International Studies, we have study tours in countries like the United States of America, China, the Philippines, and European countries. Our purpose now is to teach the reality of this contemporary world, especially in the Philippine setting. For this reason, I brought this group of students here to your country. We have no special topic in general but for me, I would cite development and poverty in the Philippine society as our topic. So, I visited rural areas like Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Nueva Ecija, and Laguna, as well as informal settlements in Metro Manila specifically in Malabon,” answered Prof. Nakanishi when asked about the objectives of the study tour.

The visiting group witnessed Filipino ingenuity through CPSU’s projects that exhibit resourcefulness—maximizing both locally sourced and sustainable raw materials, as well as local craftsmanship as manpower to stimulate economic development through commerce and job generation within the CPSU land reserve.

“What I really found most interesting in your university is that you try to connect with the local people and introduce technologies like fertilizers, mechanics, and more, to foster organic agriculture. Although in Negros Island, many farmers tend to switch to agricultural practices using chemicals, you still worked hard on promoting and introducing organic farming. I think it’s very impressive and interesting,” said Arisa Hara, a U-Tokyo student, as feedback on the CPSU tour experience.

The visitors and CPSU’s Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness students, faculty, and staff were also engaged in conversations about Philippine History and the local way of life as sparked by their visit to the university’s Heritage Center.