A Kyoto University delegation attended the 4th German-Japanese University Presidents' Conference at Tohoku University on 16–17 April 2015. The delegation was headed by President Juichi Yamagiwa and included Prof Kayo Inaba, executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and public relations, Prof Junichi Mori, director-general of the Organization for the Promotion of International Relations (OPIR), and several other staff members.
Approximately 150 people from the six member universities of the German-Japanese HeKKSaGOn University Consortium (see below for details) participated in the conference, which focused on the theme of "Building Venues for the Creation of New Knowledge and Values".
The plenary session on the first day of the conference opened with addresses by President Susumu Satomi of Tohoku University, Dr Ramin Yahyapour, CIO and presidential advisor of Göttingen University, Dr Stephan Grabherr, minister-counsellor for Economic and Scientific Affairs of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Japan, and Dr Yuichiro Anzai, president of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Following the opening addresses, Dr Sadayoshi Ito, executive vice president for research of Tohoku University, gave a keynote lecture. Presentations were then given by presidents of the six HeKKSaGOn member universities. The presentations focused on each university's international strategies and the current status of HeKKSaGOn activities.
The morning of the second day comprised the closed presidents' meeting and eight parallel research sessions. In the presidents' meeting, the participants discussed measures to promote the consortium's collaborative research and student exchange activities. In the afternoon plenary session, Prof Mori and Dr Joachim Gerke, head of the International Relations Division of Heidelberg University, introduced the Kyoto University European Center, Heidelberg Office, which is located on Heidelberg University's campus and the Heidelberg University Office, Kyoto, which has recently been established on Kyoto University's campus. They explained that the offices will serve not only as branch offices for the two universities, but also as European and Japanese centers to promote further collaboration between the six HeKKSaGOn member universities. Also during the plenary session, representatives of the parallel research session groups reported on the current status of their research collaboration and future plans. The reports indicated that multilateral research exchange among the six member universities is continuing to progress.
The conference concluded with the signing of a joint statement by the presidents of the six member universities. The statement expressed the members' intention to further develop their collaboration, and included several proposals for potential new projects. The next HeKKSaGOn presidents' conference is scheduled to be held at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in the autumn of 2015.
President Yamagiwa delivers a lecture
Prof Mori introducing Kyoto University's Heidelberg Office
From left to right: Dr Yahyapour, presidential advisor, Göttingen University, President Toshio Hirano, Osaka University, President Yamagiwa, Kyoto University, Rector Bernhard Eitel, Heidelberg University, President Holger Hanselka, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and President Satomi, Tohoku University
The closed presidents' meeting
The conference participants
The HeKKSaGOn University Consortium
HeKKSaGOn is a university consortium comprising six leading universities from Japan and Germany: Kyoto University, Tohoku University, and Osaka University from Japan, and Heidelberg University, Göttingen University, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from Germany. The consortium was established in 2010 with the aim of enhancing academic exchange between Japanese and German universities to develop and advance scientific knowledge in both countries. The name HeKKSaGOn is derived from the locations of the member universities: Heidelberg, Kyoto, Karlsruhe, Sendai, Göttingen, and Osaka. The consortium’s main activities include the regularly held Japanese-German University Presidents' Conference, collaborative research sessions, and summer school programs for doctoral students. Kyoto University serves as the chair university for the Japanese members to coordinate the consortium's activities. Heidelberg University is the chair university for the German side.
Related links
- HeKKSaGOn
http://www.hekksagon.net/ - Kyoto University: Global Engagement「HeKKSaGOn」
http://www.oc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/network/hekksagon/
