The 4th Kobe University Brussels European Centre Symposium

Globalisation of Higher Educationfrom the Perspective of EU-Japan Collaboration
Date: Monday 10 March 2014 13:00-19:30
Venue: European Economic and Social Committee
Rue Belliard 99 Belliardstraat, Bruxelles 1040 Brussel, Belgium

Edited and issued by
Institute of Promoting International Exchange Programs

Kobe University
1-1, Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501 Japan
E-mail : intl-relations@office.kobe-u.ac.jp

The 4th Kobe University Brussels European Centre Symposium

Globalisation of Higher Educationfrom the Perspective of EU-Japan Collaboration
Date:Monday 10 March 2014
Venue:European Economic and Social Committee
Rue Belliard 99 Belliardstraat, Bruxelles 1040 Brussel, Belgium
Organiser ■ Kobe University Centre for EU Studies
Kobe University Centre for EU-Japan Collaborative Education
Co-organisers ■ The European Economic and Social Committee
The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation
The EU Institute in Japan, Kansai
Supported by ■ The Mission of Japan to the European Union, JETRO Brussels

Contents
Opening

P. 2

Moderator: Prof. Taiji HAGIWARA, Director, Centre for
EU-Japan Collaborative Education, Kobe University
Opening address: H.E. Kojiro SHIOJIRI,
Ambassador of Japan to the EU
Introduction: Prof. Kazunori UCHIDA,
Executive Vice President, Kobe University

Part I

P. 4

Policy on the Globalisation of Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) in Japan and the EU

Part II

P. 18

Collaborative Programmes and Industry Perspective

Part III

P. 38

Best practices from EU-Japan exchange programmes
and internships / apprenticeships

Closing

P. 54

Closing Remarks: Jane MORRICE, Vice-President, EESC

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Photos © European Economic and Social Committee, 2014

Moderator ■ Prof. Taiji HAGIWARA,
Director, Centre for EU-Japan Collaborative Education,
Kobe University
Opening address ■ H.E. Kojiro SHIOJIRI,
Ambassador of Japan to the EU
Introduction ■ Prof. Kazunori UCHIDA,
Executive Vice President, Kobe University

Opening
Opening of the Symposium
At their 2013 Summit, the Leaders of the EU andJapanese Authorities emphasised the importance ofyouth mobility and higher education ties. Moreover,
the Authorities recognise the complementary andimportant roles industry and academia play, e.g. in
research and development. This Symposium lookedat the globalisation of higher education withreference to the situations in the EU and Japan.
Opening the event, and speaking on the eve of
the 3rd Anniversary of the Great East Japan
Earthquake, Ambassador Shiojiri emphasised theimportance of commemorating the people who diedby sharing our experiences and learning from eachother thereby making our societies more resilientand happier. In an increasingly globalised world,
universal values are important and rather thanacting alone, we must involve others to promoteand expand those values of which the EU is an2

important champion. The Strategic Partnership andEconomic Partnership / Free Trade Agreements(SPA and EPA/FTA) under discussion between the
EU and Japan will embed those values. The
Ambassador felt that education in all countries, andat all levels, must be levelled up .
Kobe University s Executive Vice President,
Kazunori Uchida, noted the role that universities,
researchers and students can play in mitigating
disasters through research and the fostering of
human resources to develop a resilient, sustainable
society. International academic collaboration
programmes are driven by government initiatives,
economic imperatives and shared research or
educational interests. As Japan has looked to
the EU, its universities have become moreinternationalised and there is now the possibility ofjoint EU-Japan double degree programmes.

H.E. Kojiro SHIOJIRI
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the European Union
The Mission of Japan to the European Union
Date of Birth: November 23, 1949
Education: University of Keio
Career in Outline:
1972 Passed Higher Diplomatic Service Examination
1973 Graduated from the Faculty of Economy, University of Keio Joined Ministry of Foreign Aﬀairs of Japan (MOFA)
1982 Second Secretary, Japanese Mission to the European Community
1983 First Secretary, Japanese Mission to the European Community
1992 Director, First International Economy Division, MOFA
1994 Director, Overseas Establishments Division, MOFA
1996 Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea
1997 Minister, Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea
1998 Director, Management and Coordination Division, MOFA
2000 Deputy Director-General, Economic Aﬀairs Bureau, MOFA
2002 Deputy Director-General, European Aﬀairs Bureau, MOFA
2003 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan in the United States of America
2005 Deputy Vice-Minister, MOFA (in charge of management, budget, personnel, Parliamentary relations, etc.)
2008 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Indonesia
2011 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the European Union

Prof. Kazunori UCHIDA
Executive Vice President
In Charge of Industry-University Cooperation and Public Relations
Birth: 1950
Degree: Doctor of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Professional Career:
1977 Assistant Professor of Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
1981 Lecturer of Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
1984 Associate Professor of Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
1994 Associate Professor of Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University
1996 Professor of Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University
2007 Professor of Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University
2009 Dean of Faculty and Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University
2013 Executive Vice President of Kobe University

Prof. Taiji Hagiwara
Event Moderator
Director of Centre for EU-Japan Collaborative Education (EJCE)
Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University
Research Field: Economics of Innovation and Input-Output Analysis
Professional Career:
1984 Research Institute of Economics and Business Administration, Kobe University
1989 Faculty of Economics, Kobe University
2010-12 Dean of Graduate School of Economics
2013 Director of EJCE

3

Policy on the Globalisation ofHigher Education Institutions(HEIs) in Japan and the EU
Presentations ■ 13:40 - 14:45
13:40 Hideshi SEMBA, Counsellor, Mission of Japan to the EU:“Globalization of Higher Education in Japan”

14:00 Brian TOLL, Policy Officer, DG Education and Culture, European Commission“Education, the EU and Japan -an overview-”

14:20 Laure BATUT, President, EESC-Japan Follow-UP Committee;
Member, Workers’Group, EESC:“Globalisation of Higher Education”

14:40 Questions and Answers

Part I

Part IThe first speaker during the Session on the ‘Policyon the Globalisation of Higher Education Institutionsin Japan and the EU’, Hideshi Semba (Counsellor,
Mission of Japan to the EU) explained how Japanese policy now encourages Japanese universities
to globalise and also promotes student exchanges.
This policy shift has occurred as Japan has become
more outward-looking and is supported at the highest levels of government. In his brief overview of theJapanese education system, Mr Semba explainedthat the 1,200 Japanese universities (80% private
universities, others being ‘national’ or ‘public’) educate more than 3m students and with a 90% enrolment rate Japan feels it offers universal accessto higher education. Whilst there has been a major
increase in the numbers of international students
coming into Japan (from 10,000 to 140,000 in thepast 30 years), the number of Japanese students

4

studying abroad has declined (from 80,000 in 2004
to 60,000 in 2011) and argued that this was due toJapanese students being ‘inward-looking’. However,the number of Japanese students studying abroad
under student exchange agreements has risen by
50%. Japan has several initiatives in this area –“Top Global University Project”, “Go Global Japan”
and “Re-Inventing Japan Project” as well as thepromotion of student exchanges. PM Abe has established two major advisory councils on economy
and education and wants to double the number of
inbound and outbound students and to encourage
the internationalisation of Japanese universities.
November’s 21st EU-Japan Summit underlined1 theimportance of cooperating on educational issues.
Brian Toll (Policy Officer, DG Education & Culture,
European Commission) explained that, like Japan,
Europe has a new strategy (Europe 2020). A ‘digi-tal agenda’ is essential because of the technological developments allowing international education‘at home’ through ‘Massive Open Online Courses’(MOOCs) – the challenge will be to ensure that
MOOC tuition is as good as traditional education.
Whereas previous generations of students were interested in revolution or drawing on principles toinnovate, students these days want to ‘learn’. It
is essential that the young acquire the necessary
knowledge and skills to replace older workers andthat the older workers are open to adopting new
ideas. Despite the existence of the Education andTraining 2020 (ET 2020) framework, educationis very much an area reserved for Member-Stateaction – the Commission can analyse and recommend but it is for the EU28 to act individually. A
knowledge triangle linking education, research andinnovation is essential. The Bologna Process wascreated to ensure comparable standards and quality of higher education qualifications. Through the
Bologna Policy Forum, Japan could learn from theprocess and its universities could try to establish
cooperation agreements with European universities
either at a subject/university level. MEXT is interested in the EU’s new focus on ‘learning outcomes’(what a student is supposed to know and be able
to apply) involving all stakeholders (students, lecturers and employers). European students are very
mobile when compared with all students. Movement between the EU and Japan should increasein both directions. ‘Exclusion’ can be reduced byraising the proportion of young people completing
tertiary education (goal of 40% of 30-34 year-olds
by 2020). Mr Toll welcomed Japan’s interest in
joint degrees (as opposed to double or multiple degrees). For interoperable education a global system
is required – not a harmonised one. He thought thatJapan’s interest in European education policy could
be partly explained by a need to know and understand Europe ‘better’ if Japan is to increase its tradewith the EU. The EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions provides a range of actions for researchers at
different stages of their careers.
The final speaker, Laure Batut (President, EESCJapan Follow-Up Committee) felt that the fact thateach Member-State has its own education systemallows people to move and learn different languages and cultures and become ‘EU experts’ and thatsuch knowledge will ensure human resource development and will empower citizens. Higher education has a crucial role to create and disseminate

knowledge and ensure innovation and social research. The EESC feels that MOOCs may offer lower quality education than traditional diplomas andwants stronger inter-university cooperation, greaterand better coordination between institutions and aninternationalisation strategy to benefit the EU andall actors. In this globalised world, it is importantthat the EU promotes, rather than forgets, its values. Obstacles to mobility should be overcome (e.g.
through ‘go and return’ tickets) and immigration systems should grant visas to students and teaching
staff, with mobility being seen as an opportunity forcultural enrichment.
During a lively question and answer session, Mr
Semba explained that his reference to ’10 Japanese universities in the world’s top 100’ was an
aspiration (currently it is 2:100) and accepted thatthe reduction in Japanese students studying abroad
is not due to them being more ‘inward-looking’ (thequestioner suggested exchange rate and high foreign tuition fees are significant). Another questioner
felt that the stated policy of attracting foreign students was inconsistent with measures such as closing dormitories and reducing grants, and thoughtthat the reduction in Japanese students studying
abroad could be due to the fact that such students
might find it harder, not easier, to find work in Japanafter their studies. Mr Semba thought that the attitude of companies was changing. Ms Batut said
that a ‘free’ university education was becoming increasingly rare in France and inequalities between
students and the general population were posing achallenge to the French notion of the ‘Republic’ –currently most French students have jobs and theirwork commitments can have a negative impact on
their studies. A participant from Hitachi admitted
that his company does still recruit every winter fromprestigious Japanese schools, but emphasised that
it is open to full-year recruitment and is interested
in talent from Japan and from elsewhere. However,
he noted that in his experience Japanese universities tend not to promote themselves to students ininternational schools and thought that the universities should improve their public relations activities.
1 “[The] Summit leaders noted with satisfaction that cooperation inpeople-to-people exchanges including through … mobility programmes
and academic exchanges between institutions of higher education had
brought mutual beneﬁts, increased inter-cultural links and enhanced
mutual understanding. They considered it was very important to maintain these initiatives and further strengthen bilateral relations in education and culture…. Exchanges at higher education levels could be
increased through … more double degree projects and joint mobility.”§48 of the Joint Press Statement issued following the 21st EU-Japan
Summit5

Part I

Hideshi SEMBA

Hideshi SEMBA
Counsellor
The Mission of Japan to the European Union

Hideshi SEMBA is a Counsellor in the Mission of Japan to the EU, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), since
July 2011. He started his career at Science and Technology Agency (STA) in 1996 after he completed his
master’s degree of science in Meteorological study. In 2001, he served as a government official of Ministryof Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). And he contributed to the development ofJapanese science and technology policies in various fields, such as remote sensing by satellites, earthquake
measuring, nuclear regulation, making funding programmes and so on.

“Globalization of Higher Education in Japan”
Abstract: In Japan, the percentage of 18-year-old
population bracket students enrolling in universities
and junior colleges has been increasing to 56.2%
recently. And enrollment rate has exceeded 90%
as of now. It is assumed that Japan has alreadyentered the stage of universal access to higher education. As for the acceptance of international students, the number of international students reached
to almost 140 thousand. But after the Great East

6

Japan earthquake in 2011, we have struggled withthe declining tendency. Japanese students studying abroad, has declined after peaking at 8.3 million people in 2004. At the present, it has been
about 30% down, 5.8 million people in 2010. The
Japanese Government struggled with this situation,and I will show some latest discussion about Government Policy & Initiatives.

Hideshi SEMBAPart I

7

Part I

8

Hideshi SEMBAHideshi SEMBAPart I

9Part I

Brian TOLLBrian TOLL
Policy Officer, Erasmus Mundus - Japan, Korea, South and East Asia,
International Cooperation Unit, Directorate-General for Education andCultureEuropean Commission

Brian Toll is responsible within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture
for international policy and relations, particularly in higher education. His focus is cooperation with Japan,
Korea and India and the countries of Central, South and East Asia. Previously, he has worked in a numberof different disciplines for the European Commission, specialising in international relations with Russianspeaking and Asian countries. Prior to joining the Commission, Brian worked as a consultant in internationallaw, as a lexicographer and lecturer, including in higher education in Finland and on the academic staff ofthe Leningrad Polytechnical Institute and the University of Birmingham. His post-graduate discipline was
education.

“Education, the EU and Japan – an overview –”Abstract: The European Union has decided where it
wants to be by 2020 and set targets to guide itself
along the way. There are common goals, to be pursued through both national and EU action: making
education more responsive to help employability
and reduce poverty, increasing R&D and innovation
to make Europe more competitive and create jobs,
and investing in cleaner technologies to combat

10

climate change while creating new business/job
opportunities. The new Erasmus+ programme will
support these policy goals by helping to modernise education, training, and youth work, fosteringtrans-national cooperation and bridging the worldsof education and work. In this presentation, Brian
will explain some of the international opportunities
for individuals and institutions on offer.

Brian TOLLPart I

11Part I12

Brian TOLL

Brian TOLLPart I

13

Part I

Laure BATUT

Laure BATUT
President,
Japan Follow-Up Committee and Member, Workers’ Group
European Economic and Social Committee

Laure Batut is a French Member of the Workers’ Group of the EESC. She is also a Quaestor and Membersof the EESC’s Social Affairs and Transport, Energy, General Interest Services sections. She is Presidentof the EESC’s Permanent Group on the Digital Agenda and its Japan Follow-Up Committee. She is also a
Member of the EESC Permanent Group on General Interest Services.
She is a Member of the Europe-International Department of CGT-FO Confederation, France and former
deputy General Secretary and Member of the Executive Boards of both the Civil Servants Federation FGFFO and the SND-FO, Syndicat National des Douanes FO Union. She was also a Senior Officer, Receveur
Principal des Douanes, MAD, Ministry of Economy & Finance. She has a Masters in Public Law and a Baccalaureat.

“Globalisation of Higher Education”

14Laure BATUTPart I

15

Part I16

Laure BATUT

Laure BATUTPart I17

Collaborative Programmes and Industry Perspective
Presentations ■ 15:00 - 16:45
15:00 Joost VAN IERSEL, President, Economic and Monetary Union and Economic
and Social Cohesion Section, EESC:“European Universities make up for societal commitment
and entrepreneurship and sociental commitment”

15:20 Prof. Masahiko YOSHII, Dean, Graduate School od Economics. Kobe University:“The Globalization of Education and the University Reforms
in Japan”

15:40 Prof. Hiroaki MARUYA, International Research Institute of Disaster Science:“Japanese Adult Education of the Field of Disaster Reduction and Business Continuity”

16:00 Prof. Yukio TOSA, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University:“Aiming at Collaboration in EU-Southeast Asia-Japan
triangle:Activities in Faculty of Agriculture”

16:20 Prof. Thomas Froehlicher, Dean, HEC-ULG Management School:“Europe-Japan: From Social Enterprise to Societal Enterpreneurship”

16:40 Questions and Answers

Part II
Part II
Joost Van Iersel (President, Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion
Section, EESC) discussed the transition phase ofuniversities in the EU. He emphasised that there
is no single university that is not international.
The EU has introduced agreed methods of university requirements and qualifications and is able tobenchmark and pose right questions. Europe 2020
is not realised without strong universities. One of
the methods to attract foreign students is to provide
courses in English. Training and lifelong learning
are also a key in this regard and alliance with in-18

dustry will bring fruitful development.
Masahiko Yoshii (Dean, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University) overviewed the globalisation of higher education in Japan with policy
examples and then introduced a case of Kobe
University. Kobe University developed several international education projects including Promotionof Global Human Resource Development, International Five-Year Economics Education Programme(IFEEK), and Programme for European Studies(KUPES). He marked several key factors: severe
competition among Japanese universities, attractbetter students, decrease in the management expense grants from the government and subsidies
to private educational institutions. He added that
globalisation of HEIs in Japan is necessary for thecountry to survive in the global competition in the
21st century and Kobe University has been adopting this movement. In order to accomplish thosetasks, university reform by the government initiatives plays a significant role.
Prof. Hiroaki MARUYA (International ResearchInstitute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University)
introduced disaster reduction education in Japan,
which is conducted at schools and community levelas an adult education. He showed some examples
implemented in Tohoku area. The Government also
introduced disaster reduction specialist training in2013 for central or local government officials. The
widespread of damage caused by major disasters
influences international economy, Prof Maruya also
introduced Business Continuity Advancement Organisation (BCAO). He concluded his presentation
by mentioning that the EU and Japan are able tocooperate in the field of Business Continuity Management and Supply Chain Management despite
difference in type of disasters/incidents.
Yukio Tosa (Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University) first introduced his graduate school and then an example of a collaborative
programme jointly organised by Kobe University,
Kyushu University, Tokyo University of Agriculture,
Kasesart University and Hohenheim University.
This programme used remote lectures by teleconference system and implemented a joint excursion
by students of the relevant universities in Vietnam.
This programme started with two universities in Vietnam and Europe and was developed to a larger
consortium of universities in South Asia and Europe.
Thomas Froehlicher (Dean, HEC‐ULG Management School) explained that his school, HEC-ULg,
a management school of University of Liege pursues <<Peaks of Excellence>> which employs interdisciplinary approach. The following three points
are essential to the development of the management school; digital world, finance and the capacity

to transform the economic model to organisations.
He introduced ICSEM (International Cooperative
Social Enterprise Models) as an example of international collaboration in the relevant field. The
main objectives of the project include mappingsocial enterprise models and institutionalisation
processes of social enterprise models. This project
involves 50 countries and several Japanese universities are also participating in this project. He
finally introduced that Wallonia has been selected
as a creative district by European Union and ULg
is implementing a number of projects in researchand education in this regard and concluded thatcreative organisations to transform the world isvery important issue for the future and cannot be
addressed without interdisciplinary approach. ULg
wishes to develop skills to establish this idea cooperating with other universities, organisations andcorporations worldwide.
In the Question and Answers session, following
Prof. Maruya’s presentation, it was mentioned thatdisaster prevention is a priority topic for EU-Japanfor science and technology collaboration. Professor
Hagiwara introduced one of the collaborative projects at Kobe University called Campus Asia Pilot
Programme which deals with risk management withpartners in China and South Korea. Then, the question on balance between research and education
at universities in Japan was posed. Professor Tosa
responded that they try to attain both missions, but
in addition to them, they have to deal with many
administrative work. It is also added that Japanese
government is now trying to categorise universities
by their focused functions. However, the EU side
mentioned that good universities should not be limited to either education or research. One of participants pointed out that Japanese universities arefacing budget-cut from the government and standing on such a situation, she posed a question what
the long-term objective that universities have andhow they plan to cope with this situation. Several
speakers responded that fundamental research andapplied research are well combined, and moreoverindustry is important partner to universities in termsof funding and commercialising.

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Part II

Joost VAN IERSEL

Joost VAN IERSEL
President,
Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social
Cohesion (SOC) Section
European Economic and Social Committee

Joost P. van Iersel (1940) started his professional career in 1967 as a civil servant in the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Subsequently he was secretary of a Dutch Employers Association. From 1979 till 1994 vanIersel was MP (christian-democrat), in particular responsible for trade and industry and EC-matters, amongst
others also as President of the European Movement. From 1992 till 2002 he was chairman of the Chamberof Commerce of The Hague with a special interest for regional infrastructural and spatial development in theRandstad. Van Iersel acted as commissioner in several companies and was on the board of various socialorganisations. From 2002 he is Member of the European Economic and Social Committee. From 2006 till
2010 he chaired the EESC Consultative Committee on Industrial Change. Subsequently, he presided the
EESC Steering committee Europe2020. Since April 2013 Van Iersel chairs the EESC Section EMU andRegional and Cohesion policy. His main fields of interest as a rapporteur in the EESC are industrial andsectorial policies, (European) metropolitan areas, and good EU governance. Van Iersel gives lectures andwrites articles on political economy and Europe.

“European Universities make up for societal commitment
and enterpreneurship and societal commitment”
Universities in Europa are in a transition phase. A
modernisation in programming and internationalisation is on its way. The landscape between thequality of universities as well as between countries
is very diverse. The combining factor remain the
Bologna declaration of 1999 that started a newperspective by the introduction of agreed methodsof university requirements and qualifications, anda reduced number of years to be spent at universities by students. It has taken quite some time before all countries took the required measures but, at
the moment, the process is going on satisfactorily.

20

However, for many universities there is still a long
way to go to shorten their distance to society andto the real economy. Another very important field ofaction is the promotion of research. Many universities are still lagging behind in this respect, but, here
again, we notice improvement. The EU is getting
now more directly involved in improving output of
universities and in promoting research programmes
in which universities are engaged. Mzny students
from Asia and from Japan find their way to outstanding European higher education.

Joost VAN IERSELPart II

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Part II

Prof. Masahiko YOSHII

Prof. Masahiko YOSHII
Dean
Graduate School of Economics,
Kobe University

Masahiko YOSHII is Professor and Dean (November 2012 – November 2014) at the Graduate School of
Economics, Kobe University. He obtained his doctorate of economics from Kobe University in 2001. His
major research interests are comparative economic systems, and economies of Russia and Central-Eastern
European Countries. He has published many books and articles on these subjects, and plays active roles inacademic circles related with his research interests.

“The Globalization of Education and the University Reforms in Japan”
After the two lost decades, Japan is now on a hardroad to recover its political and economic positionin the globalized world. For the purpose the government is pushing universities in Japan hard into reform themselves, and a main agenda is to globalize
the educational system, especially to dispatch

22

more young Japanese abroad as well as to receive
more foreign students. In this presentation, we willshow our experience to deepen our academic andstudent exchanges with academic and higher educational institutes in the EU, and how it is relatedwith the university reform policy.

Prof. Masahiko YOSHIIPart II

23

Part II

24

Prof. Masahiko YOSHIIProf. Masahiko YOSHIIPart II

25

Part II

Prof. Hiroaki MARUYA

Prof. Hiroaki MARUYA
Professor,
International Research Institute of Disaster Science,
Tohoku University
Vice Chairperson,
Business Continuity Advancement Organization, Japan

Professor Maruya entered the Ministry of Construction in 1983. Following the posts of Director of Construction Labour and Materials Office, Senior Coordinator for Disaster Management of Cabinet Office, Professorof Institute of Economic Research Kyoto University, Director for Disaster Management of Cabinet Office,etc., he has been in the present post since October 2013. He was awarded a doctorate in Economics in2008. Writings: “Significance and Economic Effects of Business Continuity Plan”, etc.

“Japanese Adult Education of the Field of Disaster Reduction
and Business Continuity”
In Japan, disaster reduction education in schools
has attracted attention, because of a good example of tsunami refuge in the Great East Japan
Earthquake. With the aspect of personnel trainingof disaster reduction in local governments and private companies, adult education has been carriedout. To the staff of the local authorities, researchorganizations and some universities provide disas-26

ter reduction education so far, and Cabinet Officestarted educational program from 2013. To personnel of private enterprise in charge of disasterprevention and Business Continuity Management,
non-profit private organizations have taken main
roles in the education. Some universities have alsobegan the educational courses.

Prof. Hiroaki MARUYAPart II

27

Part II

28

Prof. Hiroaki MARUYAProf. Hiroaki MARUYAPart II

29

Part II

Prof. Yukio TOSA

Prof. Yukio TOSA
Graduate School of Agricultural Science,
Kobe University

Yukio Tosa is a plant pathologist at Kobe University. He obtained a PhD at Kyoto University in 1988. Aftera career as an assistant and associate professor at Kochi University, he moved to Kobe University in 1996,
and was promoted to a professor in 2006. His field of expertise is genetics of plant host – fungal parasite
interactions.

“Aiming at collaboration in EU – Southeast Asia –Japan triangle: Activities in Faculty of Agriculture”
The Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, deals
with various issues ‘from farm to table’, which areassociated with foods, environments, and health.
Global warming and the development of international food trades have made them global issues.
To establish an international platform for agricultural education, we have taken several approaches.

30

One is IPAAE (International Platform for Asian Agricultural Education) program in collaboration with
Kyushu University, Tokyo University of Agriculture
and Technology (Japan), Chiang Mai University,
Kasetsart University (Thailand), and University of
Hohenheim (Germany). Some activities in this program will be presented.

Prof. Yukio TOSAPart II

31

Part II

32

Prof. Yukio TOSAProf. Yukio TOSAPart II

33

Part II

Prof. Thomas FROEHLICHER

Prof. Thomas FROEHLICHER
Dean
HEC-ULG Management School
Liège University

Thomas Froehlicher is Director General of Liège University School of Management (HEC-ULg). He is a
University Professor. He has a PhD in Management Sciences and a Licence in Sociology. He holds the ACCENTURE Chair in Sustainable Strategy. His research, publications and expertise relate to the new waysof introducing innovation: the strategic network between management, engineering and art design. He was‘Délégue général’ at ARTEM – Art, Technology and Management, which groups three Universities at thecrossroads of artistic creation and design, science and technology, management and the entrepreneurial
world. He has published a series of articles and books on the field: Design organisationnel et metamorphosedes organisations, Working Spaces in Art, Science and Business.

“Europe – Japan: From Social Enterprise to Societal Entrepreneurship”

34Prof. Thomas FROEHLICHERPart II

35

Part II

36

Prof. Thomas FROEHLICHERProf. Thomas FROEHLICHERPart II

37

Best practices from EU-Japan exchange programmes andinternships / apprenticeships
Presentations ■ 16:50 - 17:55
16:50 Margherita ROSADA, Vulcanus Manager, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation:“The experiences of Japanese interns in Europe and of European interns in Japan”

17:00 Motohiro HIRAOKA, Intern at Etudes et Productions Schlumberger and PhD student
in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at The University of Tokyo:“La Vie en Diversités”

17:10 Pascal ROTHNEMER, Principal Engineer – SRFE/IE, Etudes et Productions Schlumberger:“What can European host companies learn from Japanese interns?”

17:20 Pavel TRANTINA, Member, Various Interests’ Group, EESC:“Erasmus+ : A new EU programme for education, training, youth
and sports (2014-2020)”

17:30 Momo KONO, Kobe University and Intern, EESC:“A student’s expectations of double degree programs”

17:40 Questions and Answers

Part IIIPart III
Margherita Rosada (Vulcanus Manager, EU-Japan
Centre for Industrial Cooperation), presented the findings1 of surveys of host companies and participantsin the Vulcanus in Europe and Vulcanus in Japan
schemes – both schemes consist of language courses and work placements for technical students. 40%of the Vulcanus in Europe participants are from Tokyo(more students from Kobe would be welcome!) and ⅓
study mechanical engineering. ½ of the host companies are in manufacturing and 15% in services. ¼ ofthe placements are in Germany. 70% of Vulcanus
participants are very satisfied with their placement,
supervisor and integration into the company team.

38

60% of Vulcanus host companies have considered
employing Japanese workers after taking part in thescheme. 85% of the host companies were satisfied
with their trainees’ background, personality and work.
The most common reasons companies cited for taking
part in the scheme were cultural and social (to help
the staff improve communication with Japanese clients). ¼ students returned to Europe after completing
their studies and 95% felt that the Vulcanus scheme
had a long-term impact on their lives. In terms of thesister programme - some European participants in the
Vulcanus in Japan scheme have gone on to create
their own companies in Japan and have hosted sub-

sequent Vulcanus in Japan participants.
A current Vulcanus in Europe participant, Motohiro
Hiraoka (Intern at Etudes et Productions Schlumberger and PhD student in the Department of Aeronautics
and Astronautics at The University of Tokyo) is a student of image processing and statistical interference
who had previously studied in Canada. Internships
are rare in Japan – 90% of students graduate with noprofessional experience. He applied for the Vulcanus
scheme to challenge himself and see if he was suited
for working in a global environment. Whilst he foundnormal communication hard at first, the international‘language’ of mathematics was something he could
understand and apply to an algorithm he was working
on and use his knowledge acquired outside Europe tosolving a work issue.
Pascal Rothnemer (Principal Engineer – SRFE/IE,
Etudes et Productions Schlumberger) explained the
motivation for his company to host students such as
Mr Hiraoka: Schlumberger has been hosting Vulcanus
students for a number of years and has always foundthem to be highly motivated and intelligent. The students who apply all have a clear desire to be exposed
to an international environment and show an interestin the whole expatriation (including the language) –not just the job in hand. His interns request precise
goals and deliverables and show a strong sense ofquality in product development (even considering all
aspects of prototypes) and so clearly like to deliver awell-finished product. Mr Hiraoka was right in asserting that Japanese students can offer problem-solving
ideas that French/other European students would
not have done. The host company therefore benefits
from differences in education systems and is required
to confront its ideas with those of the students. The
company’s activities in Japan are not seen as being a big firm (it only has 500 employees there) so
it wants to be more exposed to Japanese academia
and Vulcanus enables this as well as allowing it totest potential future employees.
Pavel Trantina (Member, Various Interests’ Group,
EESC) has previously only had limited contact withJapan, but will attend the 2015 World Scout Jamboree in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Erasmus+ programme replaces several programmes and responds
to a need for increased resources. In terms of boosting
individual mobility, goals include having 1,800 movements of academic staff by 2030 and encouraging

joint master degrees for 2,650,000 students (scopefor EU-Japan movements) and 500,000 examples ofyouth mobility. Goals for innovation transfers include
encouraging e-twinning between schools and building
capacity (mainly in the EU’s neighbouring countries).
Momo Kono (Kobe University and Intern, EESC)
plans to follow a double degree programme at Kobe
University and at KU Leuven, but the substanceof the programme is more important than the mere
name – it should give its students a different ‘perspective’, stimulate their abilities to adapt, help themcommunicate their ideas and should have long-term
relevance. During her research she will have to consider things from two perspectives (those of each
university) hence the value of double degrees. She
hoped that by following a double degree she will havemore employment opportunities. Whereas Europe has
had a very long history of student mobility (since theMiddle Ages), Japan does not, but she hoped that
it would establish good partnerships with European
universities to improve their quality and to addresscommon issues (environment, ageing society). There
are obstacles to double degrees – such as immigration and language issues. Moreover, some companies
can use interns as ‘cheap labour’ without providing
a meaningful training opportunity. She also doubted
whether companies were interested in students withdouble degrees (particularly in Europe). The quality of
traineeships is important. A favourable environment
for students to maximise their knowledge for the benefit of society is needed.
During the Question and Answers session a Kobe
University speaker explained that 80% of foreign students come from Asian countries, whilst 8% comefrom the EU. 63% of Kobe University students goingabroad go to the EU. This imbalance could be addressed through internships (to European affiliates ofJapanese companies and to domestic European companies) and using branches of Kobe University as a‘bridge’ to Europe. Kobe University has to promote
globalisation for both students and lecturers. MEXT
has recognised the University as being a ‘researchoriented’ university and gets an increased budget.
1 The full Vulcanus in Europe report and Vulcanus in Japan report areavailable on the EU-Japan Centre website

39

Part III

Margherita ROSADA

Margherita ROSADA
Vulcanus Manager
EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

For 14 years, Margherita has managed the Vulcanus programme and staff in the EU-Japan Centre. Her duties include recruiting students and host companies, organising application screenings, matching student
and internship profiles, overseeing visa and other legal issues. Her previous positions included working in
education and tourism, and an internship at the European Commission. She has a degree in foreign languages and literature from IULM - University of Modern Languages, Feltre (Italy).

“The experiences of Japanese interns in Europe and ofEuropean interns in Japan”
Abstract: An introduction to the EU-Japan Centre’s
Vulcanus in Europe and Vulcanus in Japan programmes for placing engineering and science stu-

40

dents with foreign host companies, and an analysisof their results based on surveys of former participants.

Margherita ROSADAPart III41

Part III

42

Margherita ROSADA

Margherita ROSADAPart III43

Part III

Motohiro HIRAOKA

Motohiro HIRAOKAIntern at Etudes et Productions, Schlumberger
PhD student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The University of Tokyo

Motohiro Hiraoka is a PhD student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, at The University ofTokyo, specializing in statistical inference and image processing. His deep interest in the world outside ofJapan has pushed him to challenges beyond his studies onto an international platform. Mr. Hiraoka completed a year long graduate exchange program at The University of Toronto, Canada in 2011. In April 2013,
he took part in Vulcanus, a Europe program comprised of a four months long French language course in
Amboise, and in which upon completion, as of August 2013, completing his intern at Etudes et Productions
Schlumberger in France conducting research on algorithms for automatic analysis.

“La Vie en Diversités”

44Motohiro HIRAOKAPart III45

Part III46

Motohiro HIRAOKA

Motohiro HIRAOKAPart III47

Part III48

Motohiro HIRAOKAPascal ROTHNEMERPart III

Pascal ROTHNEMER
Principal Engineer - SRFE/IE,
Etudes et Productions,
Schlumberger

Pascal Rothnemer is a Principal Engineer with 25 years of seniority within Schlumberger. His expertise
encompasses Software Engineering applied to the Oil and Gas Exploration & Production industry, more specifically the Acquisition, Processing and Interpretation of Well Log data. He contributed to the developmentof Schlumberger Products and Services such as the Platform Express Integrated Wireline Logging Tool,
DecisionXpress - Rapid petrophysical data processing and visualization - or the new MaxWell Acquisition
System. He currently works in the Interpretation Engineering Department headed by PhD Isabelle Le Nirat the Schlumberger Riboud Product Centre located in Clamart, France. Within this department he plays
an active role in coaching and mentoring the young engineers. Pascal has a Masters in Mathematics from
Universite Denis Diderot-Paris 7.

“What can European host companies learn from Japanese interns?”

49

Part III

Pavel TRANTINA

Pavel TRANTINA
Member, Various Interests’ Group
European Economic and Social Committee

Pavel Trantina was born in 1975 in České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia. He studied history and politicalscience at the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University in Prague and has worked as a political analyst in
the Office of the President of the Czech Republic (1996-2002), International Commissioner of Junak - Association of Scouts and Guides of the Czech Republic (1998-2008, mostly as a volunteer), Chairman of
the Czech Council of Children and Youth (2004-2007) and Director of the Department of EU Affairs at the
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, responsible for the preparation of the Czech Presidency of the
EU Council (2007-2009) and Coordinator of recognition of non-formal education in the ESF funded project“Keys for life” (2010-2011).
He currently works both as freelance trainer and project manager and EU projects and relations manager
in the Czech Council of Children and Youth. A Member of the European Economic and Social Committee
since 2006, specialized in youth issues, education, situation of young people at the labour market and volunteering, since 2011 Vice-President of the EESC Group III. In 2011 he was President of the EESC Coordination Group for EYV 2011. A volunteer for more than 20 years on different levels in several organisations,since its creation in 2012, he has been President of the European Alliance for Volunteering.

“Erasmus+ : A new EU programme for education, training,youth and sports (2014-2020)”

50

Pavel TRANTINAPart III51

Part III

Momo KONO

Momo KONO
MA student in the Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University
Intern, European Economic and Social Committee

Momo Kono is a masters student of Economics at the Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University. She
graduated from the Faculty of Intercultural Studies at Kobe University, having focused on international politics. Areas of research which are of interest are the Economics of Education, Education and Economic Development and Economic History. Particular interest in the correlation between students’ mobility in higher
education and socio-economic changes in Europe and Japan. She is working at the EESC as a trainee on
an EU Institute in Japan, Kansai Scholarship.

“A student’s expectations of double degree programs”

52

Momo KONO

Part III53

Jane MORRICE
Deputy Chief, Equality Commissioner Northern Ireland (ECNI)
Vice-President, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

Born in Belfast, Jane has worked in many challenging fields throughout her career. Former Deputy Speakerof the first Northern Ireland Assembly set up after the Peace Agreement, former Head of the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland and former BBC reporter, she was elected Vice-President of the European
Economic and Social Committee in April 2013. In this capacity, she is also President of the EESC Communications Group. She is also serving her second term as Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Northern
Ireland Equality Commission. A journalist by profession, she started her career covering EU affairs for a
Brussels-based press agency - ‘Europolitique’. She moved back to Belfast to work as a reporter for BBC in
1987 and went on to become Head of the EC Office in 1992. A founder member of the Northern Ireland
Women’s Coalition ? a political party set up to promote women in politics - she became actively involvedin politics in 1998 when she was elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly. In 2000 she was electedby her peers to become Deputy Speaker of that Assembly. She was nominated to the EESC in 2006 andappointed to the NI Equality Commission in 2008.
Throughout her career she has been actively involved in peace building and conflict resolution. As EC representative, she was a member of Delors task force, which established the first EU PEACE Programme,
and, during her time in politics, she worked on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. In her roleas EESC Member she has written two reports on EU peace building and she continues to work to promoteexchange of experience between Northern Ireland and people in conflict zones in other parts of the world. A
fluent French speaker, Jane has been involved in promoting the integrated education of Catholic and Protestant children in Northern Ireland, the regeneration of Belfast waterfront as a Board Member of Laganside
Corporation and the Salvation Army NI Advisory Committee. Her other interests include photography, traveland music.

Closing Remarks
Jane Morrice (Vice-President, EESC) said how
impressed she had been by Ambassador Shiojiri’s
opening address. She agreed that common values
do give us a common purpose. Herman Van Rompuy’s haiku1 at the last EU-Japan Summit were apt– we may be far apart, but live under the same sky
and face the same challenges (boosting growth,competitiveness and innovation) arising throughglobalisation – this makes our relationship more important. The EU 2020 strategy and Abenomics are
grand words but the key issue is to address the lost
generation – a high level of unemployment among
young people – even among university graduates.
Events like this one help bring Japanese and European societies closer together. The EESC believes
in both internal EU mobility but also tackling the in-54

ternational – European Universities are facing challenges to attract the best professors and students
so improving the quality of education and increasing opportunities of mobility (of students, professors and researchers) is essential. Modernisation of
educational approaches is needed – both in termsof the content of studies and technical advancements (e.g. on and offline courses) – HEIs whether
they offer vocational or academic paths must beable to anticipate changes in the market and beahead of the game. Vocational training involving
academia and companies are useful. More cooperation between HEI and business is key to bringing stronger growth.
1 People far away / But sun and stars on our flags / Belong together

The 4th Kobe University Brussels European Centre Symposium

Globalisation of Higher Educationfrom the Perspective of EU-Japan Collaboration
Date: Monday 10 March 2014 13:00-19:30
Venue: European Economic and Social Committee
Rue Belliard 99 Belliardstraat, Bruxelles 1040 Brussel, Belgium

Edited and issued by
Institute of Promoting International Exchange Programs

Kobe University
1-1, Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501 Japan
E-mail : intl-relations@office.kobe-u.ac.jp