Cambridge-UTokyo Joint Symposium and Workshops

Date of activity: November 23, 2015 - November 24, 2015

The Cambridge-UTokyo Joint Symposium and Workshops took place at the University of Cambridge on November 23 and 24, 2015. On the morning of the 23^rd, the symposium was held in the new McGrath Centre of St. Catharine’s College, where Prof. Naoto Sekimura explained about the Top Global University project and the nature and aim of the Strategic Partnership between the University of Cambridge and the University of Tokyo, following the opening words by Dean David Cardwell of Cambridge and Executive Vice President Ken Furuya of UTokyo. This was followed by talks given by Prof. Cardwell as Dean of the Department of Engineering and Prof. Mamoru Mitsuishi as Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering on education at the graduate level, specifically Ph.D. students, utilizing each university’s networks.

The second part of the symposium consisted of an open discussion session by faculties of both universities covering a wide range of topics from exchanges/mobility of students, summer programs to ‘happiness’ – the ultimate goal of human resource development and research. Following the presentation and gaining of understanding of the overall concept of the strategic partnership, both sides then voiced views on specific areas of their activities and how they envisage the partnership growing.

After lunch in the foyer of the McGrath Centre, the scene changed to the workshops held at different locations by the various schools and institutes of the University of Tokyo and their counterpart departments of the University of Cambridge. Workshops were held by the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences with CIMR (the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research) and the Dept. of Chemistry (@ McGrath Centre, St. Catharine’s College), the Institute of Industrial Science with the Institute for Manufacturing (@ IfM), the Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences with the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (@ Center for Mathematics), RCAST (the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology) with the Department of Physics (@ Cavendish Laboratories), and the Graduate School of Engineering with the Department of Engineering (@ Ramsden Room, St. Catharine’s College).

• http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/academics/sp-uni.html