The 15-year partnership between Visayas State University (VSU) and Hiroshima University (HU) has recently expanded to inter-university cooperation in a jointly signed agreement on academic and educational exchange between the two leading higher education institutions both of which rank 2nd in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ranking in their respective countries.

Visayas State University (VSU) President Prose Ivy G. Yepes signed the University Presidents for Peace Declaration at the 6th University Presidents for Peace Conference at the Higashi-Senda Campus of Hiroshima University (HU), Japan, on August 6, 2026.

Apid Island, one among the string of islands collectively called Cuatro Islas, lies 6 to 8 kilometers or 3 to 4 nautical miles off the coast of Inopacan in the western seaboard of Leyte.

A regional platform designed to bring research, innovation, and technology closer to the people has gained a stronger push from Eastern Visayas’ development leaders.

When Typhoon Yolanda struck Eastern Visayas in 2013 and Typhoon Tino in 2025, the world witnessed how devastating natural hazards could become when communities are exposed to multiple risks. More than a decade later, the region continues to face recurring landslides, flooding, storm surges, coastal erosion, and the growing impacts of climate change.

For a student in Eastern Visayas, the chance to study, conduct research, or train in another country can feel like a distant possibility. A new agreement between Visayas State University (VSU) and Ghent University (UGent) is set to bring that opportunity closer.

For generations, rivers have fed families, supplied farms, supported local fisheries, and served as lifelines for communities. Yet many of the country's freshwater ecosystems continue to face pressure from human activities such as mining, agriculture, urban development, and changes in land use.