Participants in the Korea-Japan University Presidents’ Forum
On May 9, 2024, Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki attended the Korea-Japan University Presidents’ Forum held in Seoul. The forum was attended by representatives from 23 Japanese institutions and 29 Korean institutions. Its sessions explored the overarching theme of joint progress towards a new era of Korea-Japan relations, and productive discussions took place related to the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries within the field of education.
The event’s opening remarks were given by Park Sang-Gue, Chairman of the Korean Council for University Education and President of Chung-Ang University, and Kim Gheewhan, President of the Korea Foundation. Minato Nagahiro, Chairperson of the Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange and President of Kyoto University, also welcomed the participants. His greetings were followed by congratulatory remarks made by Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Lee Juho.
Thereafter, keynote speeches were given by the president of Kangwon National University, Kim Heon Young, and the president of Hokkaido University, Kiyohiro Houkin. Three sessions were then held over the course of the day. The sessions were entitled ‘The Role of Universities as National Soft Power’, ‘Industry-University Partnership focusing on Joint Research (R&D), Human Resource Development’, and ‘Suggestions for Promoting International Students Exchange in Higher Education between Two Countries’.
Throughout the conference, common issues that face both Japan and Korea were explored. These included the declining birthrate, aging population, declining proportion of young people, regional disparities due to urban areas’ increasing population density, and the critical situations universities may face in the future. As 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and Korea, it was also noted that the University Presidents’ Forum will become ever more important.