New Japan-UK partnership to expand university and industry ties in fields of science and technology
13 March 2012
“RENKEI” will enable higher education institutions to engage more fully with economy and society; twelve leading research-intensive universities from UK and Japan to strengthen links with industry via knowledge transfer and research collaboration.
London (March 13, 2012) – Twelve leading universities from both the UK and Japan have been involved in forming a new partnership scheme to encourage knowledge transfer and research collaboration not only between the two countries but between higher education and industry as a whole.
The launch of the Japan-UK Research and Education Network for Knowledge Economy Initiatives, or RENKEI (meaning “collaboration” in Japanese), announced at a press conference today, sets an example during a time when higher education institutions are being asked to play a more central role in the economy and wider society, as well as equip graduates with the skills necessary to succeed in a global marketplace. For the past two years, the British Council in Japan has been bringing together university representatives from Japan and the UK to discuss the nature of successful partnerships and to identify effective models for international university-industry collaboration. The formal announcement was made ahead of the British Council’s annual Going Global international higher education conference being held in London from 13 March to 15 March.
“The UK and Japan have a long history of collaboration,” said Professor Shinichi Ago, Vice President and Director for the International Student Center, Kyushu University. “This scheme will allow us to define new areas to work on through active and structured debate.”
With universities increasingly redefining their role in society and industry focused on maintaining an innovative edge, a closer relationship between the higher education sector and business has become a priority for Japan and the UK, two of the world’s major knowledge economies.
“Both countries have much to gain through working together,” said Professor Michael Worton, Vice-Provost, University College London and a Higher Education Advisor to the British Council. “We have a special fit that promises to result in exciting new partnership projects that show how universities can work creatively and effectively with industry, government and the civic society across national boundaries.”
By creating a new connecting body through this scheme, collaboration which used to be of a disparate nature can be more holistically derived and sustained, resulting in greater impact on not only universities and industry, but society as a whole.
“This is unlike other schemes where universities have signed up to something established,” said Jeff Streeter, Director Japan, British Council. “What is so powerful about RENKEI is that it has been developed collaboratively through the motivation and goodwill of the participating universities on both sides.”
Notes to editors:
The participating universities in RENKEI are forming pilot projects for collaboration in three main areas: technology and knowledge exchange with industry, student mobility, and universities’ social engagement. Among the pilot projects are summer schools for postgraduates and early career researchers, and a bilateral skills development programme for PhD students.
The following is a list of the twelve universities which have been involved in the formation of this new scheme.
UK
- University of Bristol
- University of Leeds
- University of Liverpool
- Newcastle University
- University of Southampton
- UCL (University College London)
Japan
- Kyoto University
- Kyushu University
- Nagoya University
- Ritsumeikan University
- University of Tokyo
- University of Tohoku
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide. We work in over 100 countries in the arts, education and English and in 2010/11 we engaged face to face with 30 million people and reached 578 million. We have 6,800 staff worldwide. Our total turnover in 2010/11 was £693 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was £190 million. The remainder was generated through trading activities such as English language teaching. For every £1 of taxpayer money invested we earn £2.65 in additional income. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org
Media contacts:
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Anna Esaki-Smith, British Council (Hong Kong)
E-mail: Anna.Esaki-Smith@britishcouncil.org.hk TEL: 85 (0)2 9155-5227
For Japanese journalists:
Naoko Jihira, PR and Marketing, British Council (Japan)
E-mail: pr@britishcouncil.or.jp TEL: +81 (0)3-3235-8068 FAX: +81 (0)3-3235-8040
