On Thursday, February 28, 2019, the First Core Member Meeting of the Committee for Personnel Exchanges was held simultaneously with the Japan Russia Industry, Academia and Government Working-level Conference.
Seven core members of the Committee for Personnel Exchanges attended the meeting, along with six regular members, five participants from Russia, and eight relevant personnel including teachers and administrative staff.
At the meeting, the agenda for the next meeting of the Committee for Personnel Exchanges was discussed first. The first topic on the agenda was the exchange of credits between Japanese and Russian universities. Specifically, there was a lively discussion about the significance of earning credits for short-term outbound students from Japan to Russia and how to recognize credits in Japan for courses taken in Russia. Participants from the Russian side also expressed their opinions based on past cases, and we were able to share information on the issues regarding credit exchange between Japan and Russia. At the Japan-Russia Committee for Personnel Exchanges meeting scheduled to be held during the next General Assembly Meeting of the Association of Institutions of Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Japan, the results of a survey examining the current state of credit exchange and joint degree initiatives between Japanese and Russian universities will be shared, and based on this survey, a report is scheduled to be made on initiatives regarding a common credit exchange system and joint degrees.
The second item on the agenda was a discussion of the Social Science and Humanities Forum. In the past, the Humanities and Social Sciences Forum had been held in conjunction with the Japan-Russia Rectors’ Forum, but on the occasion of the establishment of the Association of Institutions of Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Japan, a proposal was made to have the forum mainly organized by the Committee for Personnel Exchanges in order to increase the number of participating universities while maintaining the traditions of the forum, and this proposal was approved by the participating members. We intend to plan and promote this program as a foundation for promoting exchanges between researchers and between students in Japan and Russia in various fields.
As the final item on the agenda, participants exchanged views on the Student Forum scheduled to be held in Moscow in 2019. Various opinions were expressed regarding the number of participants, the intended participants, and when the event should be held.
