The ASEAN+3 network is a platform for cooperation between the ASEAN University Network (AUN) and universities in the three East Asian nations of China, Japan, and South Korea. Kyoto University concluded an academic cooperation agreement with the AUN in 2009. The 6th ASEAN + 3 Rectors’ Conference was held at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya, Indonesia on September 20–21, 2023. Representing Kyoto University, Prof. Yasuyuki Kono (vice-president for international strategy) attended the meeting.
The conference was attended by representatives from 30 universities and 4 institutions from 11 countries. The theme of the conference was “The Role of University Collaboration within ASEAN+3 Framework on Innovation and Industry Acceleration Ecosystem.” It was opened by welcome remarks from Rector Mohammad Nasih of Universitas Airlangga, Dr. Choltis Dhirathiti, executive director of the ASEAN University Network, and President Zhang Zongyi of Xiamen University. The welcome remarks were followed by a keynote speech by Vice-Rector Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih of Universitas Airlangga, which was followed by panel discussions on several different topics.
The second day of the conference included a discussion on the outcomes of the 4th AUN-University Innovation Entrepreneurship (UIE) annual meeting and its pre-event, an online dialogue workshop titled “Working Toward SDGs: Mapping University and Student Perspectives in ASEAN.” The meeting participants then visited the Finna Food company in Sidoarjo to discuss the promotion of industry-academia collaboration. Through its engagement with the ASEAN+3 network Kyoto University seeks to further develop its collaboration with universities in the ASEAN region, China, and South Korea.
