13th Forum for Japanese and Chinese University Presidents held in Hiroshima
The 13th Forum for Japanese and Chinese University Presidents, which was organized by Hiroshima University, was held in person for the first time in four years on November 28 (Tuesday) and 29th (Wednesday) in 2023. President FUJII Teruo, Executive Vice President HAYASHI Kaori, and Prof. WATANABE Satoshi, a Special Advisor to the President, attended the meeting from UTokyo.
President FUJII delivered the opening address for the Forum as UTokyo is the coordinating institution from Japan. In his speech, he cited the words of the Chinese philosopher Confucius: “It is a pleasure to have friends coming from afar”. He praised the fact that despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum could still be held in person after four years and expressed his appreciation. He also expressed his expectation for further exchanges and interactions, symbolized by the term “friends” used by Confucius, meaning “fellow students”.
During this conference, under the theme of “Diversity and Integration: The Required Talents and Higher Education in the Future”, active discussions and presentations were held among the Japanese and Chinese universities on two main topics: “Utilization of ICT in New University Education in the Post-COVID Era” and “Challenges for Climate Change and Global Issues”.
In the discussion on “Challenges for Climate Change and Global Issues”, UTokyo presented its initiatives, including being the first national university in Japan to participate in the “Race to Zero” campaign to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as announce in the University’s action guidelines of September 2021, and the establishment of “The University of Tokyo Sustainable Campus Project (TSCP)”, as a highlight of our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. We received positive comments and high praise from both Japanese and Chinese universities in response to our presentation.
The Forum for Japanese and Chinese University Presidents, held every two years, alternating between Japan and China, will be hosted next by Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in 2025.
The participating institutions from both Japan and China were as follows:
-19 universities and 5 institutions from Japan
Hokkaido University; Tohoku University; The University of Tsukuba; The University of Tokyo; Tokyo Institute for Technology; Hitotsubashi University; Kanazawa University; Nagoya University; Kyoto University; Osaka University; Kobe University; Hiroshima University; Kyushu University; Aichi University; Keio University; Sophia University; Chuo University; Ritsumeikan University; Waseda University;
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Japan Student Services Organization; the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education; Japan Science and Technology Agency.
-18 universities and 1 institution from China
Peking University; Beihang University; Beijing Normal University; Nankai University; Tianjin University; Northeastern University; Jilin University; Harbin Institute for Technology; Dalian University of Technology; Nanjing University; Zhejiang University; University of Science and Technology of China; Xiamen University; Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Xi’an Jiaotong University; Sun Yat-sen University;
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan.
South China University of Technology, North China University, the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Osaka were present as observers.
<Overview of the Forum for Japanese and Chinese University Presidents>
The Forum for Japanese and Chinese University Presidents explores new measures for higher education in Japan and China with the presidents of Japanese and Chinese universities discussing common issues. The Forum also contributes towards the promotion of academic and student exchanges between Japan and China. The University of Tokyo, along with Peking University, is involved in the conference management as one of the coordinating institutions.
