Joint Master Program between North-Eastern
Federal University and Hokkaido University
KATO Hirofumi
HU Russia Office in Moscow,
Hokkaido University

SUGIMOTO Atsuko
Arctic Research Center,
Graduate School ofEnvironmental Science,
Hokkaido University

Background - RJE3 Program
Inter-University Exchange Project(funded by Japan's Ministry of Education)
A project supporting international collaborative efforts in education that would help
Japanese students to study overseas and international students study in Japan, with thequality assurance of higher education, aiming to develop human resources capable ofengaging in global activities and increasing the global impact of Japan’s university
education.

In Fiscal year 2014 (Target country :Russia and India）
Russia ⇒ 5 projects adopted
Funding term: 5 years (2014.4 – 2019.3)

 Hokkaido University
RJE3: East Russia Japan Expert Education Program
Purpose: To produce experts capable of playing leadingroles in environmental sustainability, culture anddevelopment in the Far East and the Arctic Circle (1) environmental assessment
Highly skilled workers with multiculturalunderstanding, as well as communication,planning/creative and leadership abilities(2) cultural diversity(3) soil and productivity(4) regional resource development(5) disaster prevention management

RJE3 Program (East Russia Japan Expert Education Program) -1
Member universities

North-Eastern
FederalUniversity

SakhalinStateUniversity

Irkutsk StateUniversity305
students
exchangedfor 6 years
2014－2019
156 Japanese
students
149 Russianstudents

Pacific
NationalUniversity

Far Eastern
Federal
University

Five Departments of
Hokkaido University

interdisciplinary

Hokkaido
University

2019RJE3 Program isbeing operated using
the budget of member
universities.

- Graduate School of Humanities and Human Sciences- Graduate School of Science- Graduate School of Engineering- Graduate School of Agriculture- Graduate School of Environmental Sciences

RJE3 Program (East Russia Japan Expert Education Program) -2
Each country’s Needs:
Hokkaido University (Japan):• Field training• Multicultural/cross-cultural experience• Employment oriented

Russian universities:• Experience of cutting-edge research• Subject study in English• Deepening understanding of Japan

RJE3 Educational system:Prior
training
Career counseling,orientation, selfevaluation before
studying

Prepsubjects

Basicsubjects

Specializedsubjects

Advancedsubjects

Deepeningunderstandingof thedestination
country before
going andlearning
survivallanguage skills

Strengthening
basic academicskills throughDeepening
expertise incharacteristic
subjects at theuniversity inthe foreigncountry

Utilizingacquiredknowledge andskills in aninternshipprogram or
writing a paper

multidisciplinarylectures and infield training

・Field training

・InternshipFollow-up
training
Planning for thefuture through selfevaluation, researchpresentation andparticipation in the
Sustainable
Development Study
Group

HU
Students

HU

HU

RU

HU

HU

RussianStudents

RU

HU

HU

RU

RU

RJE3 Program (East Russia Japan Expert Education Program) -3
Basic subjects (offered by Hokkaido University)
RJE3 Introduction: Environment, Culture and Sustainable
Development in Far East and Arctic Region
History, Art, and Culture of Russia
Seminar on Siberian Studies: History, Environment, living condition incold region and Economics
RJE3 Special Seminar I: Energy Security in Cold Climate Region
Yakutsk Field Short Course: Permafrost Ecosystem in the ArcticRegions
RJE3 Special Seminar I: Rebun International Anthropological Field
SchoolRJE3 Special Seminar I: Fieldwork on Development Technologies inCold Region
RJE3 Special Seminar I: Past and Present of Hokkaido: History ofIshikari and Sorachi
Design School of Japan and Russia

Yakutsk Field Short Course : Permafrost Ecosystem
inInstructor
the Arctic regions★Atsuko SUGIMOTO (Arctic Research Center)
Tomonori SATO (Faculty of Environmental Earth Science)
Shunji KANIE (Faculty of Engineering)
Trofim MAXIMOV (North-Eastern Federal University)

Course Goals
1) To understand nature of permafrost ecosystem and people who live in it in Russian subarctic region.
2) To obtain basic knowledge to think about future effects of environmental changes such as
global worming and associated extreme events on the ecosystem and lives of people.

Course Content
1) Lectures and field course was conducted at Spasskaya Pad
forest station near Yakutsk, jointly with staff members from NorthEastern Federal University and Institute for Biological Problems ofCryolithozone.
2) Students are divided into four groups, and each group conducts
mini-research project on topics such as permafrost, forest vegetation,and CO2, which can be affected on global climate.
3) Lectures were given by staff members from Hokkaido Universityand North-Eastern Federal University etc.

Agreement on network form between NEFU and HU -1
 Collaborative research/education between NEFU and HU
 Joint educational program under the RJE3 program
NEFU and HU started the “Joint Master Program” in network form in 2018.

 Agreement on the network form of the implementation of educational
program between two institutions:• Institute of Natural Sciences, North-Eastern Federal University• Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
What is Network form? : Network form provides an opportunity to master an
educational program and/or separate academic subjects, courses, disciplines(modules),practices, and other components provided educational programmes, using resources ofcertain organizations, conducting educational activities, including foreign organizations,and if necessary, using the resources of other organizations.
(From the order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Education dated
on Sep 14, 2020, “Procedure of organization and accomplishment of educational activities atimplementation of educational programmes in network form)

Agreement on network form between NEFU and HU -2
 Composition of the Agreement:
Article 1 Subject of the Agreement
Article 2 Management of the Joint Master Program
Article 3 Status of students
Article 4 Financial support for the implementation of the educational program
Article 5 Conditions and procedures for the implementation of educational activities
when implementing the educational program---Annex 1 educational resources (implementation schedule, course list, scope, etc.)
Annex 2 correspondence of the number of credit units and evaluation system
Annex 3 list of lecturers---Article 6 Obligations of the Parties
Article 7 Term of Agreement
Article 8 Responsibility of the Parties
Article 9 Procedure for changing and terminating the Agreement
Article 10 Requisites and signatures of the Parties

Joint Master Program between NEFU and HU -1
 Status of students [Article 3]- Number of exchanged students: up to 5 students/year at each institution- The period of enrollment at the receiving institution: up to one year
- Participating students are required to have proficiency in English- For the completion of Master Thesis, supervision from both institutions isgiven importance- Upon completion of the educational program at the partner institution, thestudents are given an academic certificate in the form specified by thereceiving party, which the sending party recognizes as a document forre-enrolling the learning module.

 Financial support [Article 4]- Entrance examination, admission and tuition fees are waived at the receivingparty.

 Conditions and procedure [Article 5]- Annex 1-3 >> Next slides- Training can be conducted in Russian or English at NEFU, and in English orJapanese at HU- Joint educational program can be implemented using distance educational/e-learning technologies

Joint Master Program between NEFU and HU -2
 Learning Process for NEFU students under the Joint Master Program [Annex 1]
First Year (Sep -Aug)
Semester

NEFU’sstudents

Second Year (Sep-Aug)

1st

2nd[Summer]

3rd4thSep-Jan

Feb-Jul

Aug-Sep
Oct-Feb Feb-Jul
Joint commission using
Polycom system (remote)StudyatNEFUStudyatNEFUJoint fieldstudy atNEFU andSummer
School at HU

Studyat
HUStudyat
Credits for
NEFU research work ,practical training,and thesis< Study at HU >Course Name
(offered in the 3rd semester by HU)(Creditsat HU)

Credits at
NEFU

Competence’s
codes

Advanced Course in Climate Change
Impacts

23

GPC-6, PC-1

Advance Course of International Science
Communication Methods

23

GPC-3,4

Laboratory processing of collected fieldwork materials

Adjustment based on Syllabus, course schedule
student’s
・・・・・・・・・・ & instruction,・・・・・・report, etc.

Joint Master Program between NEFU and HU -3 Correspondence of Evaluation System [Annex 2]
Assessment system at NEFU

Assessment system at HU

Evaluation

Points

Evaluation

Points

A: Excellent

100-95

S: Excellent

100-90

B: Perfect

94.9-85

A: Very good

89-80

C: Very Good
D: Good

84.9-75
74.9-65

B: Good

79-70

E: Satisfactory

64.9-55

C: Pass

69-60

FX: Unsatisfactory
F: Very poor

54.9-25
24.9-0

F: Failed59-0

 Once NEFU students get the credits and evaluation of the courses
offered by HU, they are not required to take exam for credits of thecourses at NEFU.
 Titles of completed courses at HU under the Joint Master Program willbe shown in the diploma issued by NEFU.

Joint Master Program between NEFU and HU -4
Number of participating students:
2018

2019

2020

NEFU students

456

HU students

0*0*0*In each year, 2 HUstudents joined “Yakutsk
Field Short Course” anddid field research at
Yakutsk for Master’s Thesis.

Program Implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Joint courses offered by NEFU and HU:
 Introduction to Circumpolar North (Started in 2019)2019: online (via Polycom)
2020: hybrid (simulcast classes via Zoom&Webex and on-demand classes)

 Yakutsk Field Short Course : Permafrost Ecosystem
Originally scheduled in Summer 2020 (at Yakutsk)⇒ rescheduled to in February －March via Online*Other courses in the RJE3 Program and the Graduate School ofEnvironmental Science will be offered via online.

Joint educational program will be implemented using distanceeducational/ e-learning technologies.