Heidelberg University Office, Kyoto opens (14 April 2015)

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Heidelberg University Office, Kyoto, a branch office of the leading German university, was opened on the ground floor of Kyoto University's Yoshida International House on Yoshida-South Campus. Following the establishment of the Kyoto University European Center, Heidelberg Office on the campus of Heidelberg University in May 2014, the opening of the Heidelberg Office reciprocates an agreement between the two universities to open branch offices on each others' campuses. Through facilitating workshops and summer schools, supporting alumni activities, and promoting the exchange of students and researchers, the Heidelberg University Office aims to enhance the academic network between Japan and Germany. The office will also serve as a contact point in Japan for the German members of the German-Japanese HeKKSaGOn University Consortium.

An opening ceremony for the new office was held on 14 April 2015. The ceremony was attended by approximately sixty people, including German and Japanese government officials and delegates from HeKKSaGOn Consortium member universities. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially open the office. Following addresses by each delegate, the ceremonial ribbon was cut by Rector Bernhard Eitel of Heidelberg University, President Juichi Yamagiwa of Kyoto University, Dr Ingo Karsten, consulate-general of the Federal Republic of Germany in Japan, Dr Eckart Würzner, lord mayor of Heidelberg, and Mr Makoto Ueda, director of University Policy of the City of Kyoto.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the attendees were given a tour of the new office by Ms Sabine Schenk, an employee of Heidelberg University who has moved to Kyoto to manage and staff the office. After the tour, the proceedings were concluded with a lively reception party, which opened with a toast by Prof Dieter W Heermann, Heidelberg University's vice-rector for international relations.

Left to right: President Yamagiwa, Rector Eitel, and Mayor Würzner

President Yamagiwa delivers a welcome address

The ribbon-cutting ceremony
Left to right: Mayor Würzner, President Yamagiwa, Rector Eitel, Consulate-general Karsten and Director Ueda

The reception party

The HeKKSaGOn University Consortium

HeKKSaGOn is a university consortium comprising six leading universities from Japan and Germany: Heidelberg University, Kyoto University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Tohoku University, Göttingen University, and Osaka University. The consortium was established in 2010 with the aim of enhancing relationships between Japanese and German universities, including researcher and student exchange, research collaboration, and summer school programs.

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