Riga Technical University (RTU) representatives – Rector Academician Leonīds Ribickis, Deputy Rector for International Academic Cooperation and Studies Igors Tipāns and Dean of RTU Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology Professor Jānis Grundspeņķis – visited Japan where they met representatives of several universities and agreed on particular forms of cooperation – student and staff mobility, cooperation in different research fields, participation of Japanese scientists in conferences organized by RTU.
RTU delegation visited Kumamoto University, where it met with its President, Shinji Harada. The parties discussed details of content for cooperation agreements on student and academic staff mobility. The agreement itself is scheduled to be signed in April. Student mobility agreement stipulates that in summer a student group from this university will take part in the Summer School in Latvia organized by RTU International Cooperation and Foreign Students Department. The agreement with the Kumamoto University is important as it opens cooperation opportunities for higher education institutions in the Erasmus project.
I.Tipāns also visited Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT), one of the world’s leading universities for technology, and visited its Mechanics and Biomechanics Laboratories. TIT initiated the conclusion of agreement between RTU and three TIT faculties and during the visit details of these agreements were discussed. It is envisaged that the agreements will open the door for more opportunities for cooperation between the parties in research, such as mechanics, mechatronics, medical engineering and material science. This was the second visit of RTU representatives at TIT.
L.Ribickis and J.Grundspeņķis visited University of Tokyo (UT), where they met the Director of Center for Photonics Electronics Convergence, Institute of Industrial Science, and Professor Yasuhiko Arakawa and discussed academic staff mobility opportunities and participation of Japanese scientists in conferences organized by RTU. Last year in June Professor Y. Arakawa visited RTU and gave a lecture on nanotechnologies of advanced photonics and quantum dots.
RTU delegation also visited the Robotics Society of Japan and discussed opportunities of RTU representatives joining this Society. Membership status in this significant organization would provide the opportunity to get information on various high-level conferences and activities of robotics companies in the fields of education.
At Tokyo Denki University (TDU) RTU representatives met with its President Hiroshi Yasuda. It is planned that doctoral students from this university will take part in the 7th International Doctoral School of Electrical Energy Conversion and Saving Technologies (May 25-26), which is organized by RTU Faculty of Power and Electrical Engineering, Institute of Industrial Electronics and Electrical Engineering. In 2002 RTU Rector worked as a guest professor at TDU.
The visit of RTU representatives to Japan took place from 3 to 10 March, and the organizing of the event was greatly supported by the Latvian Embassy in Japan and the Ambassador Dace Treija-Masī.
A close cooperation between RTU and Japan began already fifteen years ago. RTU has general cooperation agreements with three Japanese universities – Shizuoka University, Kobe University and Kindai University. Until now, a closer cooperation has been established with Shizuoka University, the cooperation agreement foresees a joint degree programme, student and staff mobility, as well as cooperation in scientific research and organization of scientific conferences. Researchers from RTU and Japanese universities have collaborated more closely in the field of material sciences. Delegations and lectors from Japan have visited RTU, where they gave lectures to RTU students and academic staff. Several students from Japan study at RTU.
Cooperation with Japan takes place not only in the field of education and science, but also in promoting culture of both countries and in this matter the Embassy of Japan in Latvia is very cooperative.
