■ University Consortia
For further information, see:https://ie.bureau.tohoku.ac.jp/consortia-2?lang=en
AEARU（The Association of East Asian Research Universities）
Established: 1996
Countries/Regions: 5

Membership since: 1998
Participating Institutions: 18

APRU（Association of Pacific Rim Universities）

Established: 1997
Membership since: 2008
Economies: 19
Participating Institutions: 60

HeKKSaGOn

The German-Japanese University Alliance:
Heidelberg, Kyoto, Karlsruhe, Tohoku（in Sendai）,Göttingen, Osaka-network
Established: 2010
Membership since: 2010
Participating Institutions: 6

MIRAI 2.0 project
Established: 2017 Membership since: 2020
Participating Institutions: 20RENKEI（Japan-UK Research and Education Network forKnowledge Economy Initiatives）
Established: 2012
Membership since: 2012
Participating Institutions: 1057

（as of May 1, 2023）

AEARU was established in 1996 with the goals of forming a forum for the presidentsof leading research-oriented universities and carrying out mutual exchanges between
the major universities in East Asia.
Expectations are that this regional consortium, on the basis of common academic
and cultural backgrounds among member universities, will contribute not only to thedevelopment of higher education and research but also to the opening up of a newera leading to cultural, economic, and social progress in the region.
APRU was established in 1997 with the aim of fostering cooperation in education
and research contributing to economic, scientific and cultural advancement and has
grown rapidly to become a reputable international organization of leading research
universities in the Pacific Rim.
As the "Voice of Knowledge and Innovation" for the Asia-Pacific region, APRU brings
together leaders, researchers, and policy-makers to exchange ideas and collaborate
on effective solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.
As part of Tohoku University’s active participation, we have served as the regional
program hub for APRU’s Multi-Hazards Program since 2013.
HeKKSaGOn, a German-Japanese University Network founded in 2010, is a bilateral
university network composed of three Japanese and three German research-intensive
universities （Kyoto, Osaka, Tohoku; Göttingen, Heidelberg and Karlsruhe） that aims
to further develop international cooperation and the exchange of ideas in education,
research and innovation to further advance science, technology, industry and culture
between member universities. It brings together two of the world's high-tech countries
facing similar challenges in society such as global change and adaptation.

The MIRAI project was initiated to connect Swedish and Japanese universities
through research, education, innovation, and a desire to foster the next generationof researchers and students. In MIRAI 2.0, the project’s second phase whichbegan in 2020, member universities aim to collaborate in the fields of Materials
Science, Sustainability, Ageing, Artificial Intelligence （AI） and Innovation andEntrepreneurship, and will strive to meet the expectations that today’s society holds
for research universities.

RENKEI, the Japan-UK Research and Education Network for Knowledge Economy
Initiatives, is a bilateral consortium that was formed in 2012 by leading universities
from Japan and the UK under the support of the British Council. Its aim is to further
knowledge exchange and research collaboration between institutions and individuals.
This group of leading research-intensive universities in the two countries will also
develop collaborations with industry, governments and society to address global
research challenges. The four participating Japanese universities are Osaka, Kyushu,
Tohoku and Ritsumeikan. From the United Kingdom, the six members are Edinburgh,Southampton, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool and Durham.