President Masu speaks at International Forum on Engineering Education

President Masu discusses engineering education at Tokyo Tech

Centered around the theme of “innovation and development of engineering education” and co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the forum included approximately 150 delegates from around the world representing academia and industry.　

The two-day forum comprised keynote speeches as well as parallel sessions. Masu delivered a keynote speech titled “Engineering Education for Sustainable Development,” in which he shared an overview of engineering education at Tokyo Tech.

President Masu (left) with President Qiu of Tsinghua University

During his trip, Masu also paid a courtesy visit to Tsinghua President Yong Qiu. The two confirmed their shared intent to develop the Tokyo Tech-Tsinghua University Joint Graduate Program further and to continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Tokyo Tech and Tsinghua have conducted the Tokyo Tech-Tsinghua University Joint Graduate Program, a dual master’s degree program, since 2004. The more than 150 alumni of the program’s courses in Nanotechnology, Bioscience and Biotechnology, and Decision Science and Technology today play active roles in industry and academia, utilizing the specialized knowledge, linguistic and technical skills, and cross-cultural abilities fostered through the program.

Joined by Tokyo Tech staff members, Masu and Sekiguchi also met 17 Joint Graduate Program participants from Tokyo Tech and Tsinghua. The students described their research and campus life at Tsinghua. One student, who had completed the dual degree program but missed the graduation ceremony in Tokyo, received his Tokyo Tech diploma directly from Masu.

Tokyo Tech delegates with Tokyo Tech-Tsinghua University
Joint Graduate Program participants

Tokyo Tech has 13 overseas alumni associations, including one in Beijing. Twenty members of the Tokyo Tech Beijing Alumni Association gathered to welcome Masu, his delegation, and several Tokyo Tech students studying at Tsinghua. After receiving an update on Tokyo Tech from Masu, alumni members expressed pleasure at meeting current Tokyo Tech executives and students, and reminisced about their own student days.