OMU News

Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), in cooperation with the Osaka Urban Planning Bureau and the City Transportation Bureau, hosted the Osaka–Thailand High-Level Policy Exchange on Urban Mobility at JAM BASE on March 23, 2026. The event welcomed a distinguished delegation from the Thailand Central Land Transport Control Committee, led by Mr. Paskorn Boonyalug, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior. On behalf of OMU, Associate Professor Nagahiro Yoshida of the Graduate School of Engineering served as the academic host and facilitated in-depth knowledge sharing and policy dialogue.

The exchange opened with a remote welcome from OMU Vice President Takaaki Shigematsu, followed by a greeting from Mr. Boonyalug. A keynote address was delivered by Mr. Kazuhide Hayano, Counselor at the Osaka Urban Planning Bureau, who presented an overview of the Umekita Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Project. His presentation highlighted current challenges, strategic approaches, and future perspectives in urban mobility policy and transportation planning in Osaka. Following the keynote session, participants took part in a guided tour of the Umekita area to gain firsthand insight into the urban development initiatives discussed during the presentation.

In the afternoon session, Mr. Hiroshi Yoshida, Manager of the City Transportation Bureau’s Railway Network Planning Section, gave a presentation on railway network planning and urban transportation policies. An Osaka Metro representative followed with a showcase of the city’s public transportation and outlined its future development plans. The session concluded with Q&A sessions and discussions, where participants expressed strong interest in Osaka’s advanced urban mobility initiatives.

This exchange further strengthened mutual understanding between the two countries and fostered future international policy collaboration and academic exchange.

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