“IPADS 15th Anniversary Symposium” was held to celebrate 15 years since the founding of the International Program in Agricultural Development Studies (IPADS).
On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the “IPADS 15th Anniversary Symposium” was held to celebrate 15 years since the founding of the International Program in Agricultural Development Studies (IPADS). The symposium brought together nearly 100 participants, including current students from the IPADS, Graduate School of Global Agricultural Sciences (GAS), and Major in International Sustainable Agriculture Development, along with alumni, faculty, and staff at Ichijo Hall in the Yayoi Auditorium of the Faculty of Agriculture.
The symposium began with opening remarks from Dean Kazushige Touhara of the Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, followed by a presentation by IPADS Director Professor Mitsuo Yamamoto on the history and present of the IPADS. Professors emeritus Kazuhiko Kobayashi and Kensuke Okada, who made tremendous contributions to the establishment and early growth of the IPADS, each offered congratulatory addresses.
Following this, we welcomed three keynote speakers. The first keynote speaker was Professor Christian Borgemeister from the Center for Development Research (ZEF), the University of Bonn, Germany, who introduced the long-standing academic partnership between UTokyo and the University of Bonn and presented his current research on the Anopheles stephensi mosquito and its implications for malaria transmission in Tanzania. The second keynote talk was given by Professor Nauman Khalid—Professor of Food Science at the University of Management and Technology in Pakistan and the first PhD graduate of the IPADS—who reflected on his research endeavors and professional academic life after completing the program. The final keynote speaker was Mr. Passang Tshering, also an IPADS alumnus, currently working at the Agriculture Research and Development Centre in Bhutan. Prof. Nauman Khalid and Mr. Passang Tshering joined the event remotely over Zoom from Pakistan and Bhutan, respectively.
The symposium concluded with a lively panel discussion titled “The Future of IPADS,” which encouraged active engagement between speakers and attendees. The event closed with remarks by Professor Yoichiro Kato, Head of the Department of GAS.
