ASEM Symposium on Educational Exchange

October, 2003

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan in cooperation with Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) will co-host the ASEM Symposium on Educational Exchange, an event under the framework of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), on November 17 and 18, 2003, at Tsukuba, Japan.

ASEM started in 1996 when the leaders of 10 Asian countries and 15 European countries as well as European Commission gathered at Bangkok to discuss a wide range of issues and provide the opportunity to share their concerns and aspirations, and develop a common vision. Since then, four Summit Meetings have been held biennially.

At the fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM4) held in Copenhagen in September 2002, Japanese Prime Minister H. E. Mr. Junichiro Koizumi proposed an ASEM seminar on education exchange aimed at collecting and disseminating information on ASEM-wide exchange schemes. The initiative was co-sponsored by European Commission, Ireland and Singapore and endorsed by the ASEM leaders. Based on the initiative, the Government of Japan is going to host a symposium on educational exchange with the purpose of exchanging views among ASEM partners on their experiences in this field, ways and means to effectively promote exchange programs between Asia and Europe as well as on future tasks to be tackled. It is also expected that a comprehensive database on educational exchange programs among ASEM partners be proposed at the symposium.

Mr. Shogo Arai, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Shigenori Yano, Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, will welcome you at the opening ceremony followed by the keynote speeches by Dr. Tsutomu Kimura, the president of National Institute for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, and Dr. Michael Reiterer, Minister and Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Commission in Japan. Experts on education and ASEM from Japan, Asia and Europe will participate in the symposium as panelists.

The symposium is open to the public; audience from various areas such as educational institutes, students and those who have studied abroad are welcome. To participate in the symposium, please see below.

1. Date
   Monday, November 17, 2003 to Tuesday, November 18, 2003
   
   
2. Hosts
   Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
   Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan
   Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
   
   
3. Venue
   Tsukuba International Congress Centre, Tsukuba, Japan
   
   
4. Program
   
   

   November, 17, 2003	09:30	Registration
   	10:00	Opening ceremony
   	10:15	Keynote speech * Japan: Dr. Tsutomu Kimura - President, National Institute for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation * Europe: Dr. Michael Reiterer, Minister and Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Commission in Tokyo
   	10:45	Session1: Student exchange at university level: Current situations on student exchange at university level and suggestions on how to promote exchange programs between Asia and Europe
   	12:15	Lunch break
   	14:00	Session2: Issues on international students living in foreign countries: Acceptance of international students, their stay in foreign countries, and how to support international students' life
   	15:50	Session3: High school student exchange: Reports on current situations on high school student exchange and suggestions on how to promote exchange programs between Asia and Europe
   	18:00	Welcome Reception
   November 18, 2003	10:00	Session 4: Information sharing on educational exchange: Toward a creation of information sharing mechanism that will facilitate education exchange between Asia and Europe, including a creation of database
   	11:30	Session 5: Exchange of views with the audience and international students
   	12:10	Chair's reviews and closing remarks
   	12:30	End of the symposium

   
   
   
5. Panelists (to be confirmed)
   Chairman: Dr. Mineo Nakajima, Secretary General
   University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific International Secretariat
   Panelists:
   
   • Dr. Toyosaka Moriizumi, Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology
   • Dr. Seizo Miyata, President, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
   • Dr. Keuk-Je Sung, Secretary General, Secretariat for ASEM-DUO Fellowship
   • Professor Rodney Thom, Dean of International Affairs, University College Dublin, Ireland
   • Dr. Yukuo Abe, Director of International Student Center, University of Tsukuba
   • Ms. Zhang Xiuqin, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation & Exchange, Ministry of Education, China
   • Mr. Mike Winter, Deputy Director, British Council (Tokyo)
   • Mr. Peter Tan Hai Chuan, Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Singapore in Japan
   • Professor Kumiko Torikai, Rikkyo University
   • Mrs. Remedios L. Celi, National Director, YFU Philippines
   • Mr. Mick Petersmann, AFS Germany
   • Dr. Yorizumi Watanabe, Deputy Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
   • Mr. Zainal Mantaha, Director, People-to-People Exchange, ASEF

6. Languages
   English and Japanese

To participate, please send us the registration form. [PDF]