The agreement builds upon consecutive agreements signed since 1992 and is by far the most comprehensive and multifaceted agreement to be signed between Universities Australia and JANU.
Deputy Chief Executive of Universities Australia, Ms Anne-Marie Lansdown, said that our two countries have a long history of engagement – with over 480 formal agreements in place – and today’s agreement takes this relationship to the next level.
“The MoU looks at all areas of our engagement with Japanese universities in a way that we have never seen before,” Ms Lansdown said.
“It is the culmination of nine months of hard work between the two countries and has been achieved with the support of the Australian Embassy in Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.”
The MoU includes an agreement on qualifications recognition, making the two-way flow of students much more streamlined and the development of joint degree programs a reality.
The formal recognition of academic qualifications is a major win for university students in Japan and Australia and will signal a new era of student exchange and experience. Universities Australia and JANU will also explore mechanisms to promote greater research cooperation and the development of joint PhD and cotutelle programs.
“We expect that ever growing numbers of students will flow between our two countries as a result of this agreement. Given that Japan is one of Australia’s largest trading partners, the wider benefits of increased mobility and links are very significant,” Ms Lansdown said.
Aside from qualification recognition, other fields of cooperation outlined in the MoU include:
- Information sharing;
- Student mobility and exchange;
- Research collaboration;
- Staff development and exchange; and
- University management.
The agreement includes a work plan of activities, commencing with a pilot knowledge sharing program looking at international offices in a number of Australian universities in November 2015.
The MoU was signed at the 4th Japan-Australia Education High Level Policy Dialogue in Canberra yesterday.
