The University of the Ryukyus, a.k.a. Ryudai, concluded a student exchange agreement with the University of Hawaii Maui College, Thursday.

At the signing ceremony held on the same day at the University of the Ryukyus, Debra Nakama, the vice-president of Maui College, said, “We have many residents in Maui whose families trace their roots to Okinawa. We very much appreciate this wonderful agreement.”

Nakama signed the letter of agreement with Hajime Oshiro, the president of the University of the Ryukyus.

Ryudai concluded its first academic exchange agreement with the University of Hawaii in 1988. Since then, the university has concluded student exchange agreements with University of Hawaii Manoa College, Hilo College, and Kauai Community College, and has had two to five exchange students from each of the colleges every year. The new agreement with the Maui College is expected to result in the exchange two students annually.

At the ceremony, Nakama also read a welcome message from Alan Arakawa, the head county official on Maui. Ryudai’s Ohshiro, wearing a lei from Maui that the college had sent as a gift, smiled and said that Ryudai would appreciate if the agreement would become a new bridge between Hawaii and Okinawa though academic cooperation.

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