A Kyoto University delegation attended the 3rd Vietnam-Japan University Presidents' Conference, which was held at the Da Nang City Office Hall in Da Nang, Vietnam on 28–29 September 2015. The delegation was headed by President Juichi Yamagiwa, and included Prof Junichi Mori, vice president for international relations, Prof Shigeo Fujii, dean of the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Prof Mamoru Shibayama, director of Kyoto University ASEAN Center, and several other faculty and staff members.
The first Vietnam-Japan university presidents' conference was held in Hanoi in 2009, and the second was held at Kyoto University in 2012. Kyoto University has served as the chair university for the Japanese participants since the first conference.
The 3rd Vietnam-Japan university presidents' conference was co-organized by Kyoto University and the University of Da Nang, which was appointed as the hosting university by Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The conference was also supported by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The conference was attended by over 200 people, including participants from 44 universities in Vietnam and 28 universities in Japan, as well as delegates from the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU).
The conference, which focused on the theme of "Cultivating Human Resources for the Future of Vietnam and Japan", opened with addresses by President Tran Van Nam of the University of Da Nang, President Yamagiwa of Kyoto University, Mr Dang Viet Dung, vice chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee, Prof Dr Bui Van Ga, deputy minister of MOET, Mr Jun Yanagi, minister of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, and Mr Hiroki Taura, director for international analysis of the Higher Education Bureau of MEXT. Following the opening addresses, a signing ceremony was held for the conclusion of a memorandum of academic cooperation and exchange between Yokohama National University and the University of Da Nang. Prof Mori and Dr Tran Anh Tuan, deputy director general of the Higher Education Department of MOET, gave keynote lectures, and Prof Kuniaki Yamashita, director of the JSPS Bangkok Office, gave a presentation introducing several JSPS projects.
In the afternoon of the conference's first day, two parallel sessions were held on the themes of "Educational Cooperation and Quality Assurance" and "Research Collaboration and Utilizing Research Outcomes for the Benefit of Society". Each parallel session included presentations on academic exchange by representatives from participating universities. The participants also exchanged information, discussed the current status of Vietnam-Japan cooperation and related issues, and engaged in active discussions to promote future cooperation. During the conference, participating universities were also able to hold separate bilateral meetings. Over 30 such meetings between Japanese and Vietnamese universities were held to discuss the implementation of bilateral academic exchange and collaboration.
The plenary session on the conference's second day was chaired by Prof Mori of Kyoto University and Dr Tran Huu Phuc, rector of the University of Foreign Language Studies of the University of Da Nang. During the session, six presidents from Vietnamese and Japanese universities gave presentations on cooperative efforts between the two countries and their visions for the future. After the presentations, a plenary wrap-up session was held, which provided an overview of the two days of discussions. The session focused on current issues to be solved and future directions to be taken for the advancement of academic exchange between the two countries.
The conference concluded with the announcement of a joint statement by President Yamagiwa. The statement included an overview of the conference and expressed the participating universities' intention to further develop academic cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, including student exchange and research collaboration. The 4th Vietnam-Japan University Presidents' Conference is scheduled to be held in Japan in 2017.
From left: President Tran Van Nam of the University of Da Nang, President Yamagiwa of Kyoto University, Mr Dang Viet Dung, vice chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee, and Prof Dr Bui Van Ga, deputy minister of MOET
From left: Prof Yamashita, director of JSPS Bangkok Office, Mr Yanagi, minister of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, Mr Taura, director for international analysis of the Higher Education Bureau of MEXT, Prof Mori, vice president for international relations, Kyoto University, and Dr Tran Anh Tuan, deputy director general of the Higher Education Department of MOET
A parallel session
Conference participants during the opening plenary session
The plenary wrap-up session
The participants of the 3rd Vietnam-Japan University Presidents' Conference
