From 19 to 21 October, Dr Kayo Inaba, executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and public relations, represented Kyoto University at the 10th Japan-China University Presidents' Conference at Northeastern University (Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China).
The conference series serves as a platform for the presidents of leading universities in Japan and China to meet and discuss diverse matters relating to higher education and research in both countries. This 10th meeting was themed "Development of Japanese and Chinese Universities: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future", and attended by approximately 120 participants from 35 universities and six other institutions in Japan and China.
The conference opened with addresses by: President Zhao Ji of Northeastern University; Mr Hiroki Matsuo, director-general of the Higher Education Bureau of Japan's science and education ministry MEXT; Mr Ying Zhongyuan, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Liaoning Province; Ms Hua Lei of the Department of Education of Liaoning Province; and Mr Hideki Ishizuka, consul-general of the Consulate-General of Japan in Shenyang.
Keynote lectures were then given by President Guo Dongming of Dalian University of Technology and President Hiroshi Takeda of Kobe University.
Following the lectures, two parallel sessions were held, one on "Transformation and Innovation of University Education Models" and the other on "Students' Challenge to Career Development and University Teaching", with the Japanese and Chinese university representatives delivering presentations on their institutions' initiatives, and engaging in question-and-answer sessions.
The Presidents' Conference was held in tandem with a Japan-China Student Forum, with 38 attending from Japanese and Chinese universities to discuss three topics: "Artificial Intelligence on Learning Revolution", "University Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship", and "Internet Era Learning -- Modes and Innovation".
During the closing ceremony, two students -- one from Hitotsubashi University (on behalf of the Japanese universities) and the other from Xiamen University (on behalf of the Chinese universities) -- reported on the outcomes of the Student Forum. They noted that, since the Japanese and Chinese students had shared hotel rooms during the event, they had the opportunity to spend time with each other informally, deepening mutual understanding and friendship.
In a wrap-up session, the participants expressed hope for strengthening cooperation. The agenda for the next meeting was also announced; it will focus on the transition from undergraduate to graduate programs, languages in education, and opportunities for cooperation through events such as the presidents' conference.
The 11th Japan-China University Presidents' Conference will to be held in 2019 at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.
EVP Inaba at the reception
Participants in the Student Forum
Participants in the Presidents' Conference
