The four day (23 February to 1 March 2011) capacity development visit to UP forms part of a broader Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) project between South Africa (Department of Science and Technology - DST) and Japan (Japan Science and Technology Agency - JST and the Japan International Cooperation Agency - JICA). The project focuses on climate variability and extends over a period of three years (2010 to 2013). Prof Ikeda has already offered guest lectures to UP students in Meteorology and Environmental Sciences, while Dr. Nagura, Sasaki and Ratna gave valuable advice to UP’s postgraduate students in special work sessions. A similar delegation will visit UP again later this year, as well as in the following years of the project. Interesting to note is that JAMSTEC hosts one of the world’s biggest super computers called the "Earth Simulator" that is used for complex atmospheric flow and ocean climate simulations.