Overview of OTN

The NPO Old Teachers Network (OTN) was established in Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan on September 17, 2024. Its aims are twofold:

• Support for research and educational collaboration, including activities such as summer school planning and guest lectures, with universities in Vietnam, particularly focusing on faculty members who have retired from universities in Japan.
• Cultural initiatives centered around the Hokuriku region, focusing on Ishikawa Prefecture. Specifically, this involves: (1) Hosting regular concerts by young musicians (planned for the Komatsu City Danjuro Art Theater), (2) Digitizing catalogs of exhibitions & collections for small to mediumsized museums (limited to catalog information such as table of contents, item list).

For the first aim, OTN collaborates with JAIST (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), which has long collaboration history with Vietnamese universities since 2000. More than 400 Vietnamese students graduaged the graduate schools of JAIST, and more than half of them are working in academic institutions in Vietnam and abroad. The role of OTN is complementary to that of JAIST. JAIST mostly collaborates with universities in Hanoi and HCMC, where OTN tries to enlarge regional core universities, e.g., Thai Nguyen, Vinh, Da Nang, Hue, QuyNhon, Nha Trang, Dalat, Can Tho. JAIST mostly invites stundents to enroll, where OTN sends retired professors from Japanese uniersities, e.g., visiting lectures at academic and the advisory to industries.  
For the second aim, our action plan will begin in later 2025. Young musician's recital will be set at Komatsu theater "Urara" in front of Komatsu station. Digitaization of exhibision catalogues will start from local museums in Hokuriku area.