On November 16, 2017, Dr. Kayo Inaba, Kyoto University’s executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and public relations, attended a signing ceremony to conclude an academic cooperation and exchange agreement between Kyoto University and the University of Southampton. The signing ceremony was held while Dr. Inaba was visiting the University of Southampton in the UK to attend the Annual Meeting of RENKEI (Japan-UK Research and Education Network for Knowledge Economy Initiatives).*
The University of Southampton was originally founded in 1862, and is a member of the prestigious Russel Group (which consists of twenty-four research-intensive universities in the UK). The university has been highly recognized in a wide range of fields, including computer science, energy, environment, health, medicine, mechanical engineering, maritime science, and aeronautics, and has achieved significant results in academia-industry collaboration.
Kyoto University and the University of Southampton have been cooperating as members of the RENKEI since 2012. In the same year, the two universities concluded a student exchange agreement. The conclusion of this new university-level agreement is anticipated to further advance their relationship beyond the current multilateral cooperation within the framework of the RENKEI network, and facilitate the further promotion of international research collaboration.
*RENKEI (Japan-UK Research and Education Network for Knowledge Economy Initiatives):
https://www.britishcouncil.jp/en/programmes/higher-education/university-industry-partnership/renkei
University of Southampton: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/
Boldrewood Innovation Campus (a new campus of the University of Southampton)
Prof. Colin Grant, Vice President (International) and Executive Vice-President Kayo Inaba
