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Kent State, Tokyo Universities Sign Exchange Agreement"
TOKYO -- An agreement signed today by Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology strengthens ties between the facilities, and establishes the exchange of students, faculty, and research, according to Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, who presided over the signing."This agreement will continue to enhance the world-class research being done at Kent State by attracting students and scholars to Northeast Ohio," Taft said later at a Liquid Crystal Symposium organized by the two universities. "I'm confident that this enhanced exchange of knowledge will result in new collaborations and new companies that will create jobs in both Ohio and Japan."The Glenn H. Brown Liquid Crystal Institute is one of 60 Ohio companies and organizations joining Governor Taft on his 10-day trade mission to Asia. The Institute is the nation's leader in liquid crystal research and education. LCI's research has resulted in products including display tablets, optical shutters, variable transmission windows, projection display devices, and flexible displays, Taft said.Last year, Ohio awarded a $1.6 million Third Frontier award to LCI to lead a project collaborating with several area companies, including Kent Displays and Hana Microdisplays, to advance flexible plastic capabilities. The research from this project will provide prototyping capabilities for producing sophisticated optical and electronic devices on flexible plastic. Other Ohio liquid crystal companies attending today's symposium included Avery Dennison, Kent Displays and Hana MicroDisplays.Following the signing of the agreement, Taft helped plant a dogwood tree to symbolize Ohio and Japan's long-standing relations and the new agreement between the two universities. The Taft family has been giving Ohio dogwood trees to the people of Japan in exchange for Japanese cherry trees for almost 90 years, a tradition which began with Taft's great-grandparents President William Howard Taft and First Lady Helen Herron Taft. During his first trade mission to Japan in 2000, Governor Taft accepted Japanese cherry trees on behalf of all Ohioans, and today he reciprocated."