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The opening plenary lecture drew upon case studies in addressing the need for researchers and higher administrators to cooperate when establishing collaborative programs. Then, sessions were held on a variety of theme-related topics. In the first, entitled "What is an Internationalized University?: US and Japanese Perspectives," the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act in the US and 300,000 Foreign Students Plan in Japan were discussed. The next session compared the diverse policy initiatives of America's 50 states for promoting internationalization with Japan's centralized initiatives under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Taken as an example of the latter, MEXT's program "Strategic Fund for Establishing International Headquarters in Universities" was introduced. In other sessions, views were exchanged on institutional approaches to campus internationalization, especially on how to create strategy, set goals tailored to each university, and assess outcomes. Other presentations were delivered on cooperation between industry and academia, international collaborations and consortia, and double degree programs. During these sessions, strong interest was expressed in such subjects as internships, reciprocal curricula, and teaching courses in foreign languages. In the last session on student and researcher mobility, it was reported that more short-term study-abroad programs are provided for US undergraduate students, while in Japan universities send master's and doctoral students, postdocs and research associates for overseas training via JSPS's International Training Program. Special emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen the intercultural communication skills of students on both sides. The closing plenary lecture gave mention to a collapse in the balance between the sending and receiving of exchange students in the US and explained how the success of such exchange programs is largely influenced by funding. In the ensuing discussion, it was agreed that the two sides should learn from each other's successes while making clear the differences in their respective systems and approaches. This yielded a shared perception of issues to be addressed in the future. In particular, a need was reconfirmed to encourage the exchange of students while endeavoring to sustain the quality of science and engineering education in Japanese and American universities. Further information on the symposium can be found on the following website: http://www.iaestenatlconf.org/siui.htm The second round of the JSPS-NSF symposium is scheduled to be held in Japan in December of this year. As the date draws nearer, application and other details will be posted on the following website: http://www.u-kokusen.jp/. - Research Cooperation Division Ⅰ  |
On 22-23 May, a symposium jointly sponsored by JSPS and the National Science Foundation (NSF) was held in Washington, DC. Titled "Strategic Initiatives for University Internationalization," the symposium attracted 86 representatives from US and Japanese universities who are engaged in campus internationalization programs. Giving them an opportunity to share best practices and form collaborations, the symposium focused on science and engineering education as related to the internationalization strategies of research universities.