From 27 to 31 October, Hokkaido University (HU) hosted three professional staff members from its Strategic International Partner, the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMA) for the 2025 HU-UMA Two-way Professional (Technical) Staff Development Program. This jointly-organized program aims to foster networking among professional staff, strengthen support systems for international collaborative research, and enhance research infrastructure across both universities. The two universities arrange mobility of specialized staff members and online debriefing workshops with HU's funding from the Program for Forming Japan's Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The UMA participants in the Program were James Chambers, Director of Light Microscopy and Animal Imaging, and David Follette, Director of the Advanced Digital Design & Fabrication and Device Characterization, both from the Institute for Applied Life Sciences; and Elizabeth Garofalo, Extension Fruit Educator from the Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. They were welcomed by Hiroshi Amitsuka, Vice President (Research Infrastructure) and Director of the Integrated Technical Core Hub (ITeCH); Gen Sazaki, Professor and ITeCH Technical Lead; Norishige Nagai, ITeCH Deputy Technical Lead; Takayuki Watanabe, Advisor to the President; the counterpart members of the Program-Satoko Ishigaki from the Institute for Genetic Medicine, Keita Suzuki from the Faculty of Engineering, and Hiroki Masumo from the Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, all of whom were Technical Specialists; and Senior Academic Specialist Taena Uemura from the Office for International Collaborations.
The five-day Program included site visits both on- and off-campus, and an introduction to HU's research infrastructure and staff development system. Accompanied by Professor Yoichiro Hoshino, the participants experienced apple harvesting at the Yoichi Orchard and discussed trends of apple cultivars and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Hokkaido and New England with the Orchard staff. Garofalo suggested a low-cost method to help tree root growth to staff members at the Botanical Garden, where frequent visitors resulted in hard soil around the trees. For on-campus visits, they visited the Institute for Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Engineering complex, Global Research Facility Alliance Center (GFC), and HU Nikon Imaging Center which was requested by Chambers as the UMA Nikon Imaging Center Director. Follette and the HU Shisaku (Prototype) Solution Service team and Machinery Workshops talked similarity of their services, such as collecting samples from past commissions to accommodate additional orders, user trainings, and fee settings.
Botanic Garden / Shisaku Solution Service / Directors of the HU and UMA Nikon Imaging Centers
Topics of conversations were diverse, covering personnel system differences, succession of techniques and expertise to the next generations, external recognition to maintain motivation of staff members, career pathway planning and staff development, and research infrastructure of public universities to gain external funding. Further information exchange on a wide range of matters would be mutually beneficial. The presentation session held on Oct 27 drew around 30 members from across the University, and the farewell luncheon expanded networking even more.
A reciprocal Staff Development Program at UMA is scheduled for June 2026, and in the following autumn, HU will also invite professional staff members from the University of Melbourne, another key partner of HU . Networking demands are high among professional staff, and communication through the Staff Development Program is expected to enrich international research collaborations of the universities.
Text and photos provided by the Office for International Collaborations
