This month, University of Guam President Dr. Robert Underwood will be visiting Japan to participate in a Japan Foreign Ministry Invitation Program. The purpose of the program is to provide insight and a better understanding of Japan’s culture, society, economy, and government policies. The trip is sponsored by the Japan Government.

Underwood is the first individual from Guam to be offered and accepted into this prestigious program that has included former U.S. Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs under President George W. Bush Stephen Hadley and former U.S. Senator and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD).

“I’m honored to have received this invitation from the Japan Government,” said Underwood. “This visit is a great opportunity for me and a chance for the University to network and make connections with potential collaborators in government, business, and academia in Japan.”

During the visit, Underwood will receive briefings from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Embassy on the current situation in the region and relations with the United States. He will also be meeting with members of the Japanese Diet (Parliament), including the Honorable Hakuban Shimomura, former Education Minister.

Underwood will also be visiting Okayama University, with which UOG has a long-standing relationship. He has also scheduled a meeting with Dr. Jun Murai, a leader in Japanese Information Technology and known as “the father of Japan’s Internet.”

The trip will also include visits to historical sites in Tokyo and Hiroshima.