Chuo Signs Agreements with Tsinghua University and Confers Honours in Recent Ceremonies

On July 23, 2018, ceremonies were held at the Chuo University’s Tama Campus with about eighty people, including faculty, staff and students from Tsinghua University in attendance.

The signing ceremony of the student and researcher exchange agreement was held between Chuo University’s Faculty of Law, Graduate School of Law, and Tsinghua University School of Law. The agreement was signed by Tsinghua’s Secretary of the Party Committee, Professor Li Hong, Chuo’s Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Satoshi Hoshino, and Dean of the Graduate School of Law, Professor Makoto Arai, and was followed by a commemorative photograph. Tsinghua’s Secretary, Prof. Li Hong gave an address in which he stated that Chuo’s Faculty of Law is a world-famous institution, and it is expected that this agreement will be a stimulus to new exchanges and a cooperative relationship between the two institutions, including collaborative research and researcher exchanges. Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Hoshino then made a speech, expressing firm hope that the agreement may contribute greatly, not only to promoting personnel exchanges between both universities, but also to strengthening and the developing the cooperative relationship of academic research in the field of jurisprudence in Japan and China.

A memorandum of understanding was also concluded between Tsinghua University and Chuo University, and signing was attended by former President of Tsinghua University, Gu Binglin and Chuo’s Representative Director, Masahiko Omura. Both universities agreed to cooperate to establish the Japan-China Innovation Research Center (JCIRC) in Tokyo. It is expected that Chuo will provide an office location for the establishment of JCIRC free of charge, while in Beijing, Tsinghua will also provide an office location necessary for the exchange activities of Chuo free of charge, and with these help of both universities, researchers, other universities, public and private institutions at home and overseas, and their researchers, that a research project will be conducted, and JCIRC will be a platform to promote collaborative research on innovation in society.

An honorary doctorate award ceremony for the President of Tsinghua University, Qiu Yong, was held. Following speeches by Chuo’s President Tadahiko Fukuhara and Chancellor Shozaburo Sakai, the honorary doctorate and academic gown were handed over to the Tsinghua’s former President, Gu Binglin, on behalf of President Qiu Yong, who was unable to attend due to another commitment. At the end, a video message by President Qiu Yong was displayed and was greeted with rapturous applause.

President of Tsinghua University, Qiu Yong has proposed the establishment of the Asian University Federation, and has contributed to strengthening cultural exchanges between the people of Asian countries, boosting mutual understanding and relations of trust between Asian countries and regions, significantly improving the quality of academic education and technological innovation capabilities, and developing academic education in Asia. Also, in relation to Japan, President Qiu Yong has promoted a variety of academic and educational exchange programs with more than twenty universities in Japan, and has signed several memorandums of understanding with some municipalities, such as Kagoshima and Hokkaido and promoted exchange programs in various fields, including academic and economics, aiming to develop human resources and to build a human network both in China and Japan.

Chuo University and Tsinghua University signed a comprehensive agreement on academic exchange between the two institutions in 2003, and since then student and research exchange has been promoted. In March 2018, Chuo’s Representative Director, Masahiko Omura and Chancellor and President at the time, Shozaburo Sakai visited Tsinghua University and agreed with President Qiu Yong, to further develop exchange between the two institutions, which resulted in a student and researcher exchange agreement between Chuo University’s Faculty of Law, Graduate School of Law, and Tsinghua University School of Law.

For these outstanding contributions and achievements, Chuo University was proud to award President of Tsinghua University an honorary doctorate.

A memorial tree planting ceremony was held at the tree planting site on a hill next to Building No. 9, through the Japan-China Afforestation and Tree-Planting International Solidarity Project, to commemorate the visit of the first group of 150 students from Tsinghua University from July 22 to 28, part of the project supported by the Japan-China Afforestation and Tree-Planting International Solidarity Project of Japan-China Friendship Center. The project includes inviting university students from China, tree planting, conducting seminars on the environment and disaster prevention, and inspecting related facilities, with the aim of raising participants’ awareness of environment protection and disaster risk management. The project also provides opportunities to deepen friendship with university students and local citizens in Japan, through visit to universities and various exchanges, as well as to promote multifaceted understanding of Japan and friendly ties between young people in both countries, through visiting facilities and provincial cities to experience Japanese economy, science and technology, society, history, and culture. Following the tree planting ceremony, Chuo students interacted with about 100 of their counterparts from Tsinghua University (including faculty and staff), participating in a campus tour and lunch with them.

On the day before the ceremonies, a reception welcoming Tsinghua University was held, during which faculty and staff of Chuo and Tsinghua University engaged in a friendly discussion, deepening their friendship.

The ceremonies on this day are expected to ensure further development of academic exchange and collaborative research between Chuo University and Tsinghua University, as well as more opportunities for academic exchange between Japan and China.