The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science (UGSAS, Doctoral Degree) held the "International Symposium on Innovative Crop Protection for Sustainable Agriculture 2018" at the UGSAS building from March 7 and 8, 2018.

On the first day of the symposium of March 7, Professor Masateru Senge, UGSAS Dean and Dr. Fumiaki Suzuki, Executive Director for International Affairs and Public Relations, Vice President gave welcome speeches, which were followed by a Special Guest Speech by Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, President of Mariano Marcos State University (the Philippines; Dr. Shirley is a UGSAS graduate).

The following are the main keynote speakers and their speech titles:
- Designated Assoc. Prof. Sotaro Chiba of Nagoya University: "Farmer field schools leading to sustainable management of insect pests in Cambodian rice fields"
- Dr. Shigenobu Yoshida of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization: "Perspectives on the development of biopesticides applicable to both agricultural insect pests and disease"
- Assoc. Prof. Haruhisa Suga of Gifu University: "Molecular characterization of Fusarium fujikuroi in Japan"
- Assoc. Prof. Masafumi Shimizu of Gifu University: "Endophytic Streptomyces: attractive biocontrol agents"
- The latest research result presentations on plant protection technology by IC-GU 12^* university officials and the selected eighteen international UGSAS graduates (from Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh)

Many active research discussions, question and answer session followed, and the symposium was delivered to Shizuoka University by video-conference system. A total of 10 students and professors specializing in plant pathology and 13 government-funded international students at Gifu University (one is from Shizuoka University), and one student from Nagoya University also made their poster presentations. They later exchange opinions concerning their research activities with one another.

As many as 97 people participated in the symposium, and it was a big success. The symposium was also supported by the Gifu Convention and Visitors Bureau.

^*IC-GU 12: "International Consortium of Universities in South and Southeast Asia for the Doctoral Education in Agricultural Science and Biotechnology", which was created at the initiative of Gifu University.