The Japan–Spain Presidents’ Joint Symposium was held at the University of Salamanca in Spain on November 27 and 28, with Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki acting as moderator.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Spain, which began with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation in 1868. The venue for the symposium, the University of Salamanca, celebrated its 800th anniversary this year. About 40 representatives from universities and institutions in both countries gathered for the symposium, and under the main theme of “Enhancing academic cooperation between Japan and Spain”, they discussed the present situation regarding initiatives in higher education and research exchange in both countries, and also pertinent future issues.
The city of Salamanca is located to the northwest of the Spanish capital Madrid, and its Old City is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1218, it is the oldest university in Spain, and indeed is one of the oldest in Europe, along with other esteemed institutions such as Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
Tohoku University and the University of Salamanca signed an academic exchange agreement in May this year to promote international collaborative research and to further the exchange of students and researchers, mainly through the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, the Graduate School and Faculty of Arts and Letters, and the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization.
