On April 3, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Virender Kumar (Research Director), Dr. Saito Kazuki (Senior Scientist), and Dr. Iwanaga Masa (Board Member) from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for a courtesy visit and technical exchange.

During the meeting, we presented our institutional framework under the 6th Medium- to Long-Term Plan, ongoing research activities, and key areas for future collaboration, including capacity development. In response, Dr. Kumar highlighted opportunities to further strengthen collaboration, particularly in aligning strategic priorities, promoting talent development, and facilitating the scaling of promising technologies through international partnerships.

Dr. Kumar also introduced IRRI’s research structure and current initiatives, emphasizing its integrated approach that combines agronomy, social sciences, and data analytics to advance sustainable rice-based systems, along with breeding programs. He highlighted the importance of long-term experimental data in addressing critical issues such as soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.

The discussion covered a range of shared priorities, including sustainable intensification, trade-offs and synergies between carbon sequestration and methane emissions, challenges in African rice systems, biofortification strategies, and the application of data-driven approaches to support agricultural policy.

President Hasegawa Toshihiro underscored the importance of science-based, data-driven decision-making and emphasized the vital role of public research institutions to ensure equity. He expressed his strong expectation for further strengthening collaboration between the two organizations.

This meeting provided a valuable opportunity to reaffirm mutual interests and to explore concrete pathways for enhanced cooperation in research and human resource development.