TIER Symposium "Cultivating Global Leaders through World-Class University Collaborations"

TIER Symposium Venue:TTF Kuramae Hall

President Yoshinao Mishima giving the opening remarks

Vice President Toshio Maruyama introduced Tokyo Tech activities under TIER

Prof. Joseph Shepherd, California Institute of Technology

On January 17, 2013, TIER Symposium titled "Cultivating Global Leaders through World-Class University Collaborations" was held at Kuramae Hall on Tokyo Tech's Ookayama Campus. TIER (Tokyo Institute of Technology International Education and Research) Program, implemented under MEXT's funding scheme "Re-inventing Japan Project" is Tokyo Tech's flagship initiative to promote international exchanges. In 2012, two unique research-based exchange programs, TKT CAMPUS Asia and TiROP, were launched for this purpose with Tokyo Tech's designated partner universities in Asia, Europe and the US.

This symposium served as a platform for Tokyo Tech and its world-class partner universities to introduce their own leading international programs, exchange information and discuss about international collaborations in order to cultivate global techno-scientific leaders. Approximately 150 guests from various world-class partner universities, embassies, associated organizations as well as Tokyo Tech's own faculty members were in attendance for this one-day event.

The event started off with opening remarks by Tokyo Tech President Yoshinao Mishima. He stressed the importance of Tokyo Tech hosting such an international event to further improve international collaborations and emphasized Tokyo Tech's goal of becoming one of the world's top ten research universities by 2030. His speech was followed by greetings by Guest of Honor Dr. Osamu Aruga from the MEXT and a keynote lecture titled "Introduction of Tokyo Tech Activities under the TIER Program" by Executive Vice President Toshio Maruyama.

The symposium was then broken down into three sessions where several renowned scholars from Tokyo Tech's partner universities from Asia, Europe and the US were invited to speak about the unique international exchange programs and activities of their own universities. A short Q&A session at the end of each presentation offered event participants an opportunity to interact and exchange ideas with guest speakers. The morning session concluded with a lunch buffet where special guests from other "Re-Inventing Japan Project" universities such as Kyushu University, Waseda University and Nagoya University, as well as Korea's Hanyang University and America's State University of New York gave warm messages to the audience.

The symposium resumed after lunch with two more sessions of presentations from American and Asian universities. Professor Jeffery S. Cross wrapped up the event by moderating a very engaging open discussion session that focused on such issues as how the quality assured international programs could be implemented and improved, how the framework of exchanges that are beneficial for both sides could be developed, and how the differences of educational system such as accreditation between universities could be solved.