President MAKINO Hirofumi and Dr. SUZUKI Takayoshi, Vice President for International Affairs, attended the fifth biennial ASEAN + 3 Rector’s Conference, held online on October 14. The conference is a platform for the executive heads of thirty universities from ten member countries part of the ASEAN University Network (AUN) and eighteen universities from three additional countries (namely, Japan, China and South Korea) to discuss future co-operation opportunities and potential challenges.

Okayama University signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the AUN in 2013 as a member of the Consortium of Six National Universities, also known as SixERS (comprising Chiba University, Niigata University, Kanazawa University, Okayama University, Nagasaki University and Kumamoto University). Subsequently, the SixERS joined the ASEAN+3 University Network in 2015.　

Over 100 people participated in this year’s conference, which focused on the theme of ASEAN＋3 University Education and Graduate Employability: Sharpening the Edge.

President Makino gave the opening speech on behalf of SixERS and welcomed the executive heads of all participating universities during his opening speech, saying, “As the world faces such great challenges, it is our mission as universities to foster the talent of the next generation, and in doing so to contribute to a society of sustainability and wellbeing. It strikes me as highly timely that we will today be addressing the topic of “University Education and graduate Employability.””

Additionally, there was an introductory session on the Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN, which is one of the Okayama University’s initiatives commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. President Makino explained an overview of activities followed by the promotional video, and NII Yusuke, Project Coordinator, presented the achievements and prospects of the project, as well as the possibility of future collaboration among the AUN member universities.

On the same day, President Makino and Vice President Suzuki attended the side event entitled “The Ideas of ‘University’(Futures of Higher Education in the post pandemic) and the Sustainable Development Goals -Sharing efforts by multi-stakeholders in Asia-Pacific.”

Based on an ongoing partnership agreement, AUN and SixERS have been actively developing student exchange by organizing special summer and spring programs and co-hosting academic seminars. The SixERS will continue to promote academic and research exchange with universities in the ASEAN region as part of the Study in Japan Global Network Project through their shared offices established in strategically important locations such as Bangkok, Thailand (established in August 2017) and Surabaya, Indonesia (established in April 2020).

○ Consortium of Six National Universities
The Six National Universities Consortium was established in March 2013 to facilitate cooperation between institutions while allowing them to maintain their independence and self-reliance. Their shared goals include improving education, advancing academic research, increasing social contribution and promoting the development of human capital who will be capable of leading our rapidly globalizing society.

○ Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
In 2014, Okayama University was appointed by MEXT for the “Coordinator for Study in Japan Project” in Myanmar with the aim of doubling the number of students from Myanmar studying in Japan over a period of five years. The project was renamed “Study in Japan Global Network Project” in 2018 to expand the target area to throughout ASEAN. The Okayama Japan Educational Information Center (OJEIC) in Myanmar and Study in Japan Regional Office in ASEAN, Bangkok branch play central roles in our efforts to recruit outstanding international students from ASEAN countries.