DR. MAKOTO Kimura is back to MMSU to lead today, April 17, the inauguration of two projects: the Donou Pathwalk at CAFSD (College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Sustainable Development) and the Donou Mini-Island at the Biodiversity Conservation Learning Center and Leisure Park.  

During the turnover program at the Biodiversity Park, Dr. Shirley Agrupis, MMSU Donou project leader, hailed the long-time friendship—nine years and counting—with Dr. Kimura that led to successful and lasting project outcomes in the Batac and Currimao campuses. Dr. Kimura, for his part, presented his work in 22 countries as chairperson of the Community Road Empowerment, a nongovernment organization. The infrastructure projects he has initiated around the world now collectively spans 140 kilometers. Dr. Kimura eyes to help more rural communities in the Philippines, explaining that such is not charity work but an initiative that will generate revenues for the people, such as the project they recently completed in Nueva Vizacaya. For MMSU, he pledged to provide an annual budget of Php200,000 for Donou projects.

Administration and Business Vice President Ramon A. Leaño expressed the university’s profound gratitude to Dr. Kimura and expressed hopes for more opportunities for collaboration between MMSU and his organization.

The civil engineering professor of Kyoto University—one of the leading research universities in Japan, which has produced several Nobel Prize laureates—is, as of press time, 3 p.m., holding partnership forum at the FEM Hall Conference Room to discuss greater collaboration with MMSU in terms of academic, research, and extension initiatives. A draft memorandum between MMSU and Kyoto University is being discussed.