Gifu University hosted the Meeting with Senior High School Principals within Gifu Prefecture at Gifu University on July 25, 2019. Started in 2006, this annual meeting serves as an important venue for opinion-exchange and promotion of mutual understanding between Gifu University and senior high schools (general and specialized courses included) within Gifu Prefecture.

On July 25, nineteen principals represented by Mr. Toshiaki Takagi (Chair of the Gifu Prefecture Senior High School Principal Association, and presently principal of Gifu Kita Senior High School) attended the meeting. Likewise, nineteen board members and professors from the university participated in the meeting. They were President Hisataka Moriwaki, Dr. Satoshi Ema, (Executive Director for Academic and Affiliated School Affairs, Vice President (also serves as Director-General of the Organization for Promotion of Higher Education and Student Support (ORPHESS)).

President Moriwaki first spoke about the current status and policies of Gifu University, which was followed by Mr. Takagi's explanation of school revitalization plans. Later with Professor Mamoru Koketsu, Advisor to the President (ORPHESS Associate Director-General) as a moderator, the university members and the principals held discussions on such topics as Gifu University's integration with Nagoya University, senior high school-university alliance reform efforts (e.g. National Center Test for University Admissions, three key elements of academic skills, etc.) During the discussions, high expectations were expressed toward Gifu University by the members of Gifu Prefecture Senior High School Principal Association, and active opinion exchange continued for some time. It was the moment for Gifu University to reconfirm its crucial roles as a community-driven academic institute and a core base for education and research.

After the meeting, the principals were invited to tour around the newly opened Gifu Prefectural Research Institute for Food Sciences (opened in April 2019). At the laboratory of Professor Tomio Yabe (the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences) in the same building of the institute, Professor Yabe and other staff introduced the ongoing joint research projects with Gifu Prefecture, and spoke about career paths of university graduates, the percentage of students coming from Gifu Prefecture, etc. Professor Yabe is engaged in the promotion of partnership between Gifu University and the prefecture, businesses and institutions.

The principals also had a chance to look at Gifu University's academic resources and assets when they visited the Archive Core at the University Library. The Archive Core opened in June this year as part of Academic Archives programs of Gifu University 70th Anniversary events. Professor Nobumitsu Kawakubo (the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences) explained the preparations before the core's opening, items on display as well as project/programs to be implemented in the near future.

Both the meeting and inspections on July 25 offered the invaluable opportunity to the university and senior high schools to forge a stronger tie with one another.