As one of a series of events to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2008, Keio University hosted the APRU Doctoral Students Conference from Monday, 30 July to Friday, 3 August at its Mita Campus. The conference is one of the main activities of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (*).
This international conference provides opportunities to doctoral students of member universities with different cultural backgrounds and diverse disciplines to present papers and participate in discussions on a variety of themes. In addition to the presentations and discussions by doctoral students, other programs were organized, such as keynote speeches, workshops for a better understanding of the Japanese culture and society, and social programs. The conference was held this year for the 8th time, and was the first time to be held in Japan. About 100 students from 25 universities of 14 economies participated.
Starting from the welcome reception, the students had a busy schedule from morning to night, attending keynote lectures and participating in presentations and discussions. They also enjoyed the campus tour and a variety of workshops and social programs. The conference must have been a valuable experience for the students, not only for academic exchange with doctoral students of other countries, but also by using English to manage the international conference by themselves. It was also a great opportunity for them to make contacts with other researchers across the border.
(*) About APRU (Association of Pacific Rim Universities)
Formed in 1997, APRU is a consortium of 37 leading research universities from 16 countries of the Pacific Rim. It aims to foster education, research and enterprise thereby contributing to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement in the Pacific Rim. To be considered for APRU membership, universities must first satisfy the following criteria: Academic Excellence, Research Intensity, Global Outlook and Innovative Dimension. Keio University became an APRU member in 2002, and in May 2007, President Yuichiro Anzai was elected APRU's Vice Chairman.
