Two Japanese professors, Yoko Ogashiwa from Hiroshima University and Yuma Kawahara from Okayama University, spent five days on Hiiumaa to learn about the B7 network.

On Monday, the 16th of August, the Japanese had a meeting with the B7 Chair, Reet Kokovkin and on the 17th of August, met with the B7 Secretary Ere Naat and the member of People-to-People Workgroup, Ermo Mäeots. The guests were interested in the relationship between the B7 and EU structures as well as the impact of the mobility of workforce on the islands. Another topic of interest was youth involvement in the B7 activities.

"The B7 network is a very interesting and quite a unique example of transnational co-operation between islands. There are not so many active networks of a similar kind to be found in the world."

The research on the B7 network is expected to be finished in 2011.