Kobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2017

Kobe University Brussels European Centre
Newsletter

New Advisor
appointed toKUBECINDEX-News
Research at Kobe University(1st half of 2017)
Past Events in 2017
In-house seminars and workshop
at KUBEC
Social MediaLet us know what you think
about our English website

 NEWSNew advisor appointed tothe Kobe University
Brussels European Centre

Kobe University opened the Brussels
European Centre (KUBEC) in
September 2010 and established theCentre for EU Academic Collaborationin July 2013 to promote furtherexchanges with Europe. Our activities
in Europe include seminars, workshops,
student and scientist exchanges, joint
research projects, as well as an annual
high-level symposium organised at Kobe

University Brussels European
Centre (KUBEC). This year’s event,organised in conjunction with theVrije Universiteit Brussel, will takeplace on 21 November 2017.
In February 2017, Mr. Patrick
Vittet-Phillipe, formerly Head ofJapan and Russia Desks at theDirectorate-General for Researchand Innovation, European
Commission, was appointed as thenew Advisor to KUBEC. As part ofhis previous responsibilities, Mr.
Vittet-Philippe regularly presentedto Kobe University the European
Commission’s policy forKobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2017

international cooperation in researchand higher education, and encouraged
the University to develop its activities
in Europe, particularly throughparticipation in European research
programmes.
We are looking forward to working
with him in his new capacity as Advisor
to KUBEC in order to reinforce Kobe
University’s presence in Europe. Hisrole will include providing policy
advice, supporting applications toEuropean education and researchfunding schemes, helping organise
outreach activities, and developing
collaboration with European academic
and research partners. We will continue
to use our, now reinforced, Brussels
European Office to promote increased
cooperation in the fields of education
and research between Japan, Belgiumand Europe.

V

ice-Chancellor of theUniversity of Essex
visited Kobe University

On February 24, Professor
Anthony Forster (Vice-Chancellor,University of Essex) paid a courtesy
visit to President TAKEDA Hiroshi.
Kobe University concluded an interuniversity academic cooperationagreement with the University of Essex
in May 1992 and since then the two
universities have been involved in joint
research projects mainly in thehumanities and social sciences. The
Graduate School of Law concluded adouble degree programme agreementwith Essex’s Department ofGovernment and sent the first cohort in2015.

Kobe University is strengthening
international communications toattract students and staff from allover the world. As part of thisinitiatives, new English website haslaunched on March 2016.
In order to enhance web-contents
with suggestions from internationalorganisations, Professor UCHIDA
Kazunori (Executive Vice President
in Charge of Public Relations)invited Mr. Stephen to ask for his
advice based on his experience inthe European Commission.
We will continue to act on advice
from Mr. Gosden to enhance ourinternational communications
activities.

Comment from Mr. Patrick VittetPhillipe:

http://www.kobe‐
u.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2016_11_16_0
1.html‘I am truly delighted and honoured to have beenasked to contribute to the Initiative for
Excellence launched by one of the mostforward-looking universities in Japan. I am
impressed by Kobe University’s resolute
engagement in international research activities,
particularly with Europe, and by its
commitment to meet the challenges andexpectations of 21st Century education in theglobal environment. Engaging in a constructive
dialogue between Japan and Europe, andbuilding innovative international partnerships
represent, in my view, the best ways to develop
students with a global mindset and find answers
to the World’s key societal challenges’.

In the meeting, participants discussed
the scholarship schemes of the Britishand Japanese governments, and Essex’s
international strategies in response toBrexit. Afterwards, the two heads
signed the new student exchange
agreement between Kobe University’s
Graduate Schools of Humanities,
Intercultural Studies, Economics, andLaw, and Essex’s Faculties ofHumanities and Social Sciences.

http://www.kobe‐u.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2017_02_28_01.htm
lhttp://www.kobe‐
u.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2017_02_28_03.ht
mlhttp://www.kobe‐
u.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2016_12_20_01.htm
lInnovation DG visited Kobe
University to review ourinternational communications,focusing on website-based
initiatives.

Visit to review Kobe
University's international
communications activities

On February 17, Mr. Stephen
Gosden, former Webmaster at theEuropean Commission Research andV

isegrad Project KickOff Workshop held inKraków, Poland

On May 29, Kobe
University held the Visegrad Project
Kick-Off Workshop titled“Prospects of Visegrad Project:Comparative Studies on Migrationand Social Movements in V4Countries, Japan and Asia” atJagiellonian University in Kraków,Poland.

Kobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2017

Using the Visegrad University Studies
Grants, from October 2017 Kobe
University is starting a course titled“The Place of V4 Countries in Europeand Japan” to study the importance ofCentral and Eastern Europe within theEU, links between Japan and the region,and its position in Japan.
The course is expected to be offered toexchange students from partner
universities of Kobe University, andtaught with cooperation from scholars
in our V4 partner universities:
Jagiellonian University (Poland), Eötvös
Loránd University (Hungary),Comenius University in Bratislava(Slovakia), and Charles University(Czech).
This course is also planned to form partof the Kobe University Educational

Program on Current Japan, an English
and Japanese-taught program focusing
on current issues in Japan.
The workshop was attended byProfessor INOUE Noriyuki (ExecutiveVice-President in Charge ofInternational Exchange), Professor YUI
Kiyomitsu (Executive Assistant to thePresident in Charge of International
Collaboration, Executive Director of theCentre for EU Academic Collaboration)
and Professor SHIRATORI Yoshihiko(Vice-Dean, Graduate School ofHumanities). The attendees discussed
issues including the scholars from V4
partner universities who will conduct
the project, course operation, andexpansion of exchange activities
between Kobe University and the V4
partners.

on 19 October 2017 to examine
research collaboration with V4
partner universities taking
opportunities to manage theVisegrad Project. Through thisproject, Kobe University will
promote further collaboration
between Japan and Central andEastern Europe in education andresearch.
http:// www.kobe‐
u.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2017_06_16_0
2.htmlVisegrad Project kick-off symposium
will be held at Jagiellonian University Research atKobe University(1st half of 2017)

Research at Kobe has launched!
A website focused on Kobe University research activities has
opened onMarch 2017.
All you need to know about our research is now on the website
including news, spotlight, researchers, facilities and collaboration.

Kobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2017

-Making oil from algae – towards more efficient biofuels
http://www.kobe‐u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2017_01_30_01.html
Environment, Science- How parenting styles influence our attitudes to marriage
http://www.kobe‐u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2017_02_02_01.html
Social Sciences, Psychology- Solar cell design with over 50% energy-conversion efficiency
http://www.kobe‐u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2017_04_21_01.html
Engineering, Technology, Energy- New method for early screening of colorectal cancer
http://www.kobe‐u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2017_04_26_01.html
Medical, Life sciences
If you have any questions about research news, please contact us at

intl-relations (a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp◆ Past Events in 201718 May. First Japanese Law Workshop at Kobe University Brussels European Centre(KUBEC)http://www.office.kobe‐u.ac.jp/ipiep/materials/flyer20170518.pdf
10 Mar. Global launch of investigation research on Residual information on Communication by using international
network
6 Mar. Japanse vereniging voor de studie van België Association japonaise d’études belges Japanische Vereinigung fürBelgische Studien
http://www.office.kobe‐u.ac.jp/ipiep/materials/flyer20170306.pdf

 In-house seminars and workshop at KUBEC
Information on academic seminars and workshops at KUBEC can be found at:
http://www.office.kobe-u.ac.jp/ipiep/kubec/index_en.html
If you are interested in participating in those events, please contact us atintl-kobe_u_bxl(a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp
for further information.

Kobe University Brussels European CentreE-newsletter, June 2017

 Social Media
Kobe University is now on Social Media!

KobeU_Global

KobeUniversity
GlobalKobe University

 Let us know what you think about our English website
Feedback is always welcome. Please let us know your opinion by filling in a 3-minute questionnaire about the newwebsite: Link to questionnaire
Thank you very much for reading this newsletter. We wish you all a joyful summer holiday!
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Email : intl-kobe_u_bxl(a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp
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