The University of the Philippines (UP) and Nagoya University (NU) renewed the hosting agreement for the NU Asian Satellite Campus – Philippines (NUASC-PH) at UPLB. 

UP President Angelo A. Jimenez (PAJ) and NU President Naoshi Sugiyama led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which was held at NU’s headquarters in Japan on 21 February 2023. With this renewal, UPLB will continue to host the NUASC-PH on campus which is currently situated at the ground floor of the Bienvenido M. Gonzalez Hall. 

PAJ was joined by Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. (CJCJ), Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Nathaniel Bantayan, and Assistant to the Chancellor Eileen Lorena Mamino. NU President Naoshi Sugiyama was accompanied by his fellow officials and faculty, among them Vice President for International Affairs Norimi Mizutani, Asian Satellite Campuses Institute (ASCI) Director Yamauchi Akira, and NUASC-PH Director Editha Cedicol.

The two universities first signed the maiden MOA on 2 December 2015 at UPLB. Since its establishment, NU-ASCI has been offering the Transnational Doctoral Programs for Leading Professionals in the country and five other Asian countries which includes Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. 

Currently, NUASC-PH offers two hybrid doctoral degrees in the fields of bioagricultural sciences and international development with plans to expand its PhD programs in the future. Other ASCI satellite campuses offer the following fields: Education and Human Development, Law, Medicine, and Environmental Studies. 

In 2017, UP and NU also signed the Joint PhD Research Scholarship program for UP Faculty and REPS. 

In 2019, Philippine campus produced its pioneer graduate—Ronilo de Castro from the  Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD). Since then, NUASC-PH has produced a total of 9 graduates and with 9 ongoing students. 

Two UPLB university researchers, Kim Nyka Perdiguerra and Joy Banayo from the Institute of Crop Science and Institute of Animal Science respectively, completed their transnational doctorate degree and were both recipient of the NU-UP Joint Scholarship Program. 

Aside from scholarship programs, NU provides the University with various research laboratories and facilities in the College of Agriculture and Food Science, College of Engineering and Agro-industrial Technology, and College of Forestry and Natural Resources. Among the high value equipment are animal climate chamber and sliding microtome. (Ana Vera G. Oleta)