April 24, 2009
On April 23, Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) and Musashi University and Musashi Senior & Junior High School (Musashi) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on academic programs, initiatives, and exchanges, at a ceremony at Musashi University campus.
The MOU has two main aims: the first is to establish an educational program that enables Japanese students to acquire the language and academic skills required to study international liberal arts at university-level in English. The second is to provide a wide range of opportunities for foreign students to study about Japan in both languages. The MOU will also lead to collaboration between the three parties in research, academic symposiums and cultural events to show the fruits of this research work, as well as the use of each other’s facilities such as libraries. TUJ and Musashi are also exploring the possibility of extending the agreement to create a credit-exchange program between the two universities, with a view to introducing a double-degree program in the future.
Possible areas of collaboration include:
- Exchange of faculty and staff members
- Exchange of students
- Joint research projects
- Shared grants and sources of funding
- Shared campus facilities and amenities
- Other joint educational and cultural programs
As a first step, TUJ and Musashi will form a joint task force to determine the specifics of these collaborative activities.
Commenting on the announcement, Akito Arima, Chancellor of Musashi, said: “As a representative of Musashi and as a person who has long been involved in academic research and education policies, I believe this is a very meaningful partnership. As a multi-faceted partnership between a Japanese university and a Foreign University Japan Campus designated by the Ministry of Education, our MOU has the potential to produce excellent results in both research and education. It will also give students at Musashi Junior & Senior High School, which joined the agreement between the two universities, wider perspectives in their study, including the possibility to study at overseas universities.
Both Musashi and TUJ believe in the importance of a liberal arts education and we share a common educational philosophy in areas such as the internationalization of the education system. I believe this partnership will be truly fruitful, by realizing a close collaboration between the three institutions to take advantage of the physical closeness of the two campuses, that will enable an easy exchange of students, faculty and staff.”
TUJ’s Dean Bruce Stronach said: “For TUJ, Japan’s leading and most comprehensive American institution of higher education in Japan, the opportunity to develop a deep and broad partnership with a quality institution such as Musashi University is both exciting and timely. Our two institutions have complementary academic philosophies and a wide range of highly complementary academic programs. Simultaneously, our different histories and cultures create a diversity that enhances the synergistic nature of the relationship. In these days of increasing competition, both around the world and here in Japan, partnering is essential to develop the high-quality academic and educational programs necessary for success. Two universities from two different countries partnering in Tokyo provide a unique opportunity to strengthen education and research in Japan and the United States, as well as creating a global model for university partnerships.”