20 June, 2008
A major step forward in the internationalization of Japan’s universities
An event to commemorate Keio University’s 150th anniversary
Hosting the Association of Pacific Rim Universities’ Annual Presidents Meeting in Japan for the first time
The APRU Forum: “ Tradition and Innovation in Higher Education”
June 27, 2008
APRU is an association of universities located in the Pacific Rim region, which includes
North America and Latin America. Formed in 1997, it is comprised of 37 universities in 16
countries. APRU seeks to contribute to more active economic, scientific, academic, and
cultural exchange around the Pacific Rim by promoting education, research, and other
academic undertakings. APRU members are research-oriented universities that stand at
the highest international level. Each member is committed to furthering its contribution
to education, research, and service to society through subcommittees and other expert
meetings that tackle such themes as distance education, earthquakes, tsunami,
infectious diseases, and brain sciences.
Among these meetings is the APRU Annual Presidents Meeting to be held at Keio
University. APRU members in Japan are the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University,
Osaka University, Waseda University, and Keio University. This year’s Annual
Presidents Meeting, the 12th to be held thus far, will be the first to take place in Japan.
It will have as its theme “Tradition and Innovation in Higher Education” and is
scheduled to be attended by representatives of 26 universities in 12 countries.
The members of press are invited to cover the events of the APRU Forum, as it will bring
together presidents of top universities in the Pacific Rim, a region with cultural and
social diversity that stands as a representation of the international community at large.
1. Outline of the APRU Forum
(1) Date and time: Friday, June 27 10:30 A.M. to 5:05 P.M.
(2) Place: Large conference room, third floor of the North Building, Keio University’s Mita Campus. For access information, see http://www.keio.ac.jp/access.html
(3) APRU Forum theme: Tradition and Innovation in Higher Education
Part One: Government Leaders Session
“Policy Making amidst Increasing Globalization in the Pacific Rim”
*Panelists: Heizo Takenaka, Professor in the Keio University Graduate School of Media Design and Director of the Keio University Global Security Research Institute (former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and State Minister for Postal Privatization)
Shotaro Yachi, Special visiting professor in the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (former Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs)
Part Two: Small Group Discussions (closed to the public)
“ Impact of Globalization and International Competition on Universities”
Part Three: Business Leaders Session
“Innovation, Technology, and Globalization in the Pacific Rim”
*Panelists: Kakutaro Kitashiro, Senior Advisor of IBM Japan, Ltd.
Katsuaki Watanabe, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation
(4) Languages: Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation in Japanese and
English available)
2. Significance of the APRU Annual Presidents Meeting
As Japan’s oldest modern university, Keio University pursues education and research at
an international level in various fields that include the humanities and social science,
science and engineering, medicine, pharmaceuticals. In 2005, Keio was selected as a
university for the Strategic Fund for Establishing International Headquarters in
Universities program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology. Keio is also focusing its energies on international cooperation in areas
that include the launch of the Organization for Global Initiatives (OGI). These
developments are leading to growing numbers of educational institutions that have
signed academic agreements with Keio (from 88 institutions in 2001 to more than 220
in 2008) and overseas students enrolled in Keio (484 in 2001 to 934 in 2008). Since
joining APRU in 2002, Keio hosted a Doctoral Students Conference on its Mita Campus
last year, and President Yuichiro Anzai has been serving as APRU Vice Chairman since
June of 2007. This year, which marks the 150th anniversary of its founding, Keio
University will become the first in Japan to host the APRU Annual Presidents Meeting,
an event that will bring together the presidents of APRU-member universities.
Covering Asia, North America, Latin America, and Oceania, the Pacific Rim region is a
representation of the entire world and a melting pot of diversity. Having a Japanese
university take an initiative in APRU is expected to contribute significantly to improved
presence and stronger competitiveness for all Japanese universities - including national
and private universities - on the international stage.
*About the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
APRU is an association that encourages the building of cooperative frameworks for
education, research, and business management in the Pacific Rim region. Formed in
1997, it is comprised of 37 universities in 16 countries. Universities that meet certain
requirements (e.g., superior academic performance, ability to promote research, a view
to global activity, an innovation-based perspective, etc.) and that receive
recommendations from two member universities can apply for APRU membership after
undergoing a screening process. Main APRU activities involve the holding of Annual
Presidents Meetings; senior staff (vice-president level) meetings; meetings on distance
learning; meetings on tsunami, earthquakes, infectious diseases, and other issues
that are common throughout the Asian Pacific Rim region; and specialized
subcommittees of Doctoral Student Conferences and other gatherings. The current
Chairman is Professor Gavin Brown, President of the University of Sydney.
APRU official website: http://www.apru.org/
Member Universities (37 universities in 16 countries)
*Participating universities: As of 10 June.
Australia
*Australian National University
*University of Melbourne
*University of Sydney
Canada
*University of British Columbia
Chile
University of Chile
China
*Fudan University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
*Peking University
*Tsinghua University
*University of Science and Technology of China
*Zhejiang University
Chinese Taipei
*National Taiwan University
Indonesia
University of Indonesia
Japan
*Keio University
*Kyoto University
*Osaka University
*University of Tokyo
*Waseda University
Korea
*Seoul National University
Malaysia
University of Malaya
Mexico
National Autonomous University of Mexico
New Zealand
*University of Auckland
Philippines
University of the Philippines
Russia
*Far Eastern National University
Singapore
*National University of Singapore
Thailand
*Chulalongkorn University
United States of America
*California Institute of Technology
Stanford University
University of California, Berkeley
*University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
*University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
*University of California, Santa Barbara
*University of Oregon
University of Southern California
University of Washington
APRU Forum Schedule (Friday, June 27, 2008)
Tradition and Innovation in Higher Education:
Redefining Co-existence, Managing Change and Enhancing Opportunities
10:30 – 12:05 Part One
Government Leaders Session:
“ Policy Making amidst Increasing Globalization in the Pacific Rim”
Venue: Conference Hall, North Building, Keio University
Panelist 1: Professor Heizo Takenaka, Keio University; former Minister of Internal Affairs & Communications, Japan
Moderator: Professor Lee Jang-Moo, President, Seoul National University
Panelist 2: Mr. Shotaro Yachi, former Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
Moderator: Professor Stephen J. Toope, President, University of British Columbia
13:30 – 15:00
Part Two
Small Group Discussions:
“ Impact of Globalization and International Competition on Universities”
15:30 – 17:05 Part Three
Business Leaders Session:
“ Innovation, Technology, and Globalization in the Pacific Rim”
Panelist 1: Mr. Kakutaro Kitashiro, Senior Advisor, IBM Japan, Ltd.
Moderator: Professor Gene Block, Chancellor, University of California, Los Angeles
Panelist 2: Mr. Katsuaki Watanabe, President and Representative Director, Toyota Motor Corporation
Moderator: Professor Zhu Qingshi, President, University of Science and Technology of China
Notes
(1) For those of you interested in covering the event, please fill in the application form from the link below and fax it to the Office of Communications and Public Relations of
Keio University by noon Wednesday, 25 June.
(2) We regret that there will be no opportunities for interviews at Part Two.
(3) Please contact us for individual interviews with presidents of universities.
Inquiries:
Ms. Kawagoe or Ms. Mizuno
Office of Communications and Public Relations
Keio University
TEL: ＋81-3-5427-1541
FAX: ＋81-3-5441-7640
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.keio.ac.jp/
