Message from the President concerning the recent earthquake.
11.03.16.
To Our International Exchange Partners Abroad
Since the Tohoku-Pacific Earthquake on March 11, Shinshu University has received a continuous stream of e-mails and faxes expressing concern from many of the universities with which it has entered into exchange agreements. We thank you all for your warm messages of sympathy and support.
Here in Nagano Prefecture we felt the earthquake that struck the Tohoku-Pacific coast. Early on the following morning there was also an earthquake on the border between the Prefectures of Nagano and Niigata. In the wake of the major earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku there has been a significant drop in the supply of electricity and shortages of gasoline, mainly in eastern Japan. As a result, there have been severe disruptions to transport systems and logistical networks. None of the University’s campuses, however, have sustained any damage. We are currently in the middle of the spring vacation and are making urgent efforts to confirm that our students are safe and well. A Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) has been dispatched from the University’s hospital to the disaster zone and is now participating in the rescue operation.
We are, of course, doing our utmost to ensure the safety of the international students in our care and of all the other students and staff in the University. We will also do whatever we can to support the relief effort for the victims of the earthquake.
We would very much have preferred to reply individually to all of the many expressions of concern, but by posting this message to the University website we hope to reach the largest number of people as quickly as possible.
We would appreciate it if anyone who reads this could pass this message on to those concerned. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
Dr. Kiyohito Yamasawa
President, Shinshu University
