Tokyo Tech welcomes President Tony F. Chan and HKUST delegation

On April 13, President Yoshinao Mishima welcomed a delegation from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) that included President Tony F. Chan and Vice President Eden Y. Woon.

On the Tokyo Tech side, Vice President for International Affairs Hidetoshi Sekiguchi, Dean of the School of Materials and Chemical Technology Yuji Wada, Dean of the School of Computing Osamu Watanabe, and Dean of the School of Environment and Society Kikuo Kishimoto also attended the meeting.

Having concluded a university-wide cooperation agreement in 2010, Tokyo Tech and HKUST have promoted research and student exchanges through a variety of activities organized by international consortia, including ASPIRE League¹, AEARU², and AOTULE³.

This meeting was intended as an opportunity to exchange more detailed information to further deepen the bilateral partnership. The HKUST delegates expressed interest in exploring research collaborations with Tokyo Tech in cross-disciplinary areas and in creating a dual degree program, and the two sides considered utilization of the existing student exchange programs offered by each university to promote bilateral student exchanges. Attendees also discussed the two universities' respective policies and strategies with regard to internationalization and research.

Following the meeting, Tokyo Tech deans and faculty members met with the HKUST delegates to discuss in detail the possibilities for cooperation between counterparts at each School.

In parallel to the deans' meetings, Chan gave a lecture on "HKUST, Rising Asia and Global Impact" to a large audience comprised of members of the Tokyo Tech community and the general public.

Chan discussed the transformation of higher education in Asia in the past several decades and described how governmental strategies regarding science and technology have led to the shift of global innovation to Asia. He referred to significant increases in R&D spending and in the numbers of scientific papers, patent applications, and start-up companies from the region.

Furthermore, Chan described the Hong Kong government's strategies in regards to higher education, technology, and innovation, including the establishment of HKUST in 1991, and introduced opportunities for international students and researchers at the university.

Chan and members of his delegation were in Japan to attend the AEARU Board of Directors Meeting hosted by Tokyo Tech on April 15. During the BOD meeting, the delegation visited research facilities and met with Tokyo Tech researchers and students.

• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Asian Science and Technology Pioneering Institute of Research and Education
• ASPIRE League | Global Exchange Initiatives | Global
• Association of East Asian Research Universities
• AEARU | Global Exchange Initiatives | Global
• Tokyo Tech hosts AEARU 40th Board of Directors Meeting | Tokyo Tech News
• AOTULE