President Susumu Yamauchi attends Japan-UK Conference ‘Collaboration in Research and Education’ and gives Presentation on the Promotion of Globalization, Improvement and Diversification of Education, and the Further Importance of Social Science Research
On May 1, 2014, the presidents and vice presidents of 30 leading UK and Japanese research universities (16 universities in the UK and 14 in Japan) gathered at University College London (UCL) at their first conference to discuss in detail how bilateral collaboration can be developed in the fields of both research and education.
Presentations introduced each university and its distinctive efforts to promote international exchange. President Yamauchi mentioned that Mori Arinori, the founder of Hitotsubashi University, had studied at UCL, and explained the significance of that fact. He also introduced the university’s short-term study abroad program for all students, our collaboration in the European and Asia-Pacific Social Science network, and the foundation of the Mori Arinori Center for Higher Education and Global Mobility and its activities, as notable examples focused on Europe from among all the activities designed to promote globalization and the improvement and diversification of education stated in Hitotsubashi Plan 135.
At the conference, plans were suggested to develop collaborative activities in the fields of both research and education among the 30 universities. The participants agreed upon these major approaches:
- Promoting multilateral collaboration in student and research exchange by using these 30 universities as platforms, and increasing the compatibility of curricula and academic credits.
- Developing a system of promoting transdisciplinary research with industrial academic government cooperation upon specific themes, such as ageing.
On the subject of ageing President Yamauchi said that Hitotsubashi University recognizes the profound importance of research not only in the field of the natural sciences such as medical care and science and technology, but also in the field of the social sciences in such areas as insurance, finance and welfare.
In the second half of the conference a round-table discussion was held after a keynote speech by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was on a 10-day visit to Europe. He emphasized the importance of government measures to increase the number of foreign students in Japan, and expressed his hope that the participating universities would further vitalize educational and research exchanges, along with strengthening the ties between Japan and the UK. At the end of the conference, there was a report on the results of the first session and concrete plans were discussed for collaboration between Japan and the UK in the future.
The results of this conference will be officially announced soon in the form of a statement by the 30 universities.
Member universities of the Japan-UK Conference
From Japan
Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hitotsubashi, Keio, Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Waseda, Tsukuba, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Doshisha, Ritsumeikan, Kyushu
From the UK
Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, King’s College, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, UCL, York, Warwick
This conference was held under the sponsorship of UCL and the Embassy of Japan in the UK, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the British Council.
Related Links
UCL News – Prime Minister of Japan gives keynote speech at UCL
(photo by UCL)
(photo by UCL)
(photo by UCL)
