11.08.2010
Unique German-Japanese university consortium

Three leading German universities and three of Japan's top universities have agreed to establish an unprecedented German-Japanese university consortium with the aim of improving scientific cooperation and the exchange of students and scholars. On the German side, the universities of Heidelberg and Göttingen as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are involved. The consortium's Japanese partners are Kyoto University, Osaka University and Tohoku University. The rectors and presidents of these six institutions signed a corresponding declaration at the close of a two-day meeting at the end of July in Heidelberg

The objective of the new collaboration will be to safeguard the long-term future of international activities and projects. All six institutions of higher education want, in particular, to intensify the exchange of information, step up cooperation in research and teaching and foster the exchange of students, PhD students and researchers.

In addition to the rectors and presidents of the relevant universities, the meeting in Heidelberg was also attended by more than 100 people, including numerous specialist scholars. The Japanese ambassador to Germany, Dr. Takahiro Shinyo, also took part. After a presentation of each of the institutions, and their international orientation and research strengths in particular, the participants discussed innovative forms of future cooperation in topic-related working parties. The spectrum of discussion extended from behavioural economics to new materials for energy technologies through to the application of mathematics in the life, material and economic sciences. Central German and Japanese contacts will be appointed for the consortium in the near future. The integration of the universities will be deepened at follow-up meetings. The event at the Heidelberg University was held as part of the "150 years of Germany-Japanese" friendship campaign. The meeting was sponsored by the Robert Bosch Foundation.