West Visayas State University (WVSU) strengthened its international academic partnerships as it welcomed officials from The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) and the University of the Philippines Asian Center for a courtesy visit and ceremonial signing of a Letter of Agreement (LOA) on July 27 at the WVSU Boardroom.

The signing formalized the collaboration for the upcoming international conference, “Japanese Beyond Words,” which WVSU’s Department of Language Studies under the College of Arts and Sciences will host in partnership with The Japan Foundation, Manila and the UP Asian Center on Sept. 25 to 26, 2026. The conference will coincide with the 41st Philippine Nihongo Teachers’ Forum and will be held at the QH Building.

The ceremony followed an ocular inspection of the conference venue and discussions on logistical and program preparations. Representatives from the partner institutions also met with University officials to strengthen coordination and reinforce their shared commitment to advancing Japanese language education and international academic collaboration.

Leading the delegation from The Japan Foundation, Manila were Deputy Director Yuta Kaneko, Senior Japanese Language Education Adviser Yuko Fujimitsu, Program Coordinator for Global Partnership, Arts and Culture, and Japanese Studies Ma. Jasmine Ray Latina, Nihongojin Support Team Program Coordinator Jan Jesster Lanting Carpio, and Karl Ian Cheng Chu from the UP Asian Center.

The Japan Foundation, Manila emphasized that the visit was intended in preparation for the conference and to deepen the partnership and friendship between the institutions while reaffirming their commitment to promoting Japanese language education in the Philippines.

The Department of Language Studies initiated the partnership through the ceremonial LOA signing, recognizing the collaboration as a key milestone in ensuring the successful staging of the international conference and expanding WVSU’s global academic engagements.

The partnership supports WVSU’s continuing internationalization efforts by fostering cross-cultural understanding, promoting language education, and creating opportunities for academic exchange with international institutions. The initiative advances the University’s commitment to producing globally engaged graduates while contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).