The British Council is planning to organise a delegation of 10 to 15 staff members from Japanese universities to visit approximately 4 UK universities in February 2019. The delegation will be accompanied by a British Council Japan staff member. We are seeking expressions of interest from UK universities which wish to host the delegation.

Purpose of the mission

The key aims of this project are: 1) to showcase UK universities’ excellence in internationalisation and to provide Japanese universities with an opportunity to develop a greater understanding of UK universities’ international strategies, practices and programmes; and 2) to provide UK universities with an opportunity to gauge interests and needs of Japanese counterparts. We also aim to encourage networking which will lead to the development of new partnerships between universities in Japan and the UK.

In Japan, the demand for new partnerships with UK institutions to increase student, academic and professional staff mobility, as well as research partnerships, continues to grow.
 

Timing

We plan to organise a mission between Monday 25 and Thursday 28 February 2019. We hope to visit 4 univerities. At each university, we would like the delegation to participate in a full day visit programme, starting at around 10:00 and finishing at around 16:00/17:00.

Please note that we may ask host institutions to arrange a half-day programme, depending on the total number of institutions the delegation will visit.

Proposed schedule:

• Sunday 24 February – Arrival in the UK
• Monday 25 February – University visit
• Tuesday 26 February  – University visit
• Wednesday 27 February  – University visit
• Thursday 28 February – University visit
   

Visit Programme Contents

We would like each host UK institution to present an overview of selected topics, either in a briefing session, an interactive workshop with relevant staff and/or by arranging visits to relevant facilities on campus.

In the online form, institutions will be asked to suggest which of the below topics they would like to cover during the visit. Once institutions are selected, the British Council will provide recommendations on suitable topics. Topics will largely depend on the types of institutions and their unique strengths.

• Development and implementation of corporate international strategy
• University branding, reputation management and PR
• Development and management of overseas partners: student exchange, credit transfer, double degrees/joint degrees
• Recruitment and support for international students: recruitment strategy, accommodation, learning support, and career support
• Initiatives to ensure/improve equality, diversity and inclusion among students and staff
• International research collaboration and partnerships
• Initiatives to increase outward student mobility
• Campus tour
• Networking opportunities with academic and professional staff interested in partnership building 
• Summer programmes
• Alumni networks
• Short presentations on their universities from the participating Japanese institutions   
   

Profiles of the delegates

In mid-November, we will start inviting expressions of interests from Japanese universities to join the mission. We will be able to inform the selected UK hosts of the delegates’ profiles by the end of January 2019.

Since its inception in 2009, the Inward Mission has welcomed a diverse range of delegates. Some have been relatively junior, administrative staff keen to deepen their understanding of specific aspects of UK HE institutions, such as international student recruitment and support or university branding and reputation management. Others have been academic/professional staff at middle to senior management levels scoping potential partnerships. In general, Japanese institutions are keen to develop or deepen relationships with UK universities and the delegates represent institutions which have shown commitment to strengthening links with the UK.  

For your reference, the following universities in Japan have taken part in the Inward Mission to date. Those which participated in the last year’s mission are marked with*:

Akita International University, Chiba University, Chuo University, Doshisha University, Ehime University, Gifu University, Hitotsubashi University, Hokkaido University, Ibaraki University, International Christian University*, Kansai University*, Kanto Gakuin University, Keio University*, Kobe University, Kōchi University, Kochi University of Technology, Konan University*, Kumamoto University*, Kyoto University, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyushu University*, Meiji University, Mie University, Musashi University*, Nagoya University*, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagasaki University*, Okayama University, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Osaka University, Osaka Prefecture University, Ritsumeikan University, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University*, University of the Ryukyus, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Shinshu University, Tohoku University, Tokai University*, Tokyo Institute of Technology*, Tokyo University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo University of Science, University of Tsukuba*, Waseda University, Yamaguchi University, University of Yamanashi, Yokohama National University

Language

English will be the main language and there will be no translation.

Costs

• We would like each host institution to provide the delegation with lunch and refreshments during the visit.
• We may also ask a host institution to provide transport for the group either by taxi or coach between the nearest train station/local accommodation and the campus.

Institutions which can offer on-campus accommodation with internet access will be preferred. The maximum cost per night is shown below. Accommodation costs will be covered by the delegates.

• Edinburgh  £90
• London  £150
• Elsewhere  £80

*Prices include breakfast and tax.

Selection methodology

We will select host institutions taking the following aspects into consideration:

1. Host institutions should be a comprehensive university offering a range of subject areas including arts, humanities and sciences.
2. Commitment to developing partnerships with Japanese universities.
3. Topics to be covered and relevance to the interests of Japanese universities. Institutions that can showcase strong corporate international strategy, recruitment and partnership development strategies as well as branding/reputation management case studies will be preferred.
4. Geographical location in relation to other potential host institutions
5. Overall balance of the types of universities (teaching/research universities, strength in arts and humanities/science subjects).
6. Institutions which have not participated in this programme within the last three years will be given preference. However, institutions which have participated within the last three years will not be excluded from consideration.

Please note that delivery of the Inward Mission will be dependent on the British Council receiving a sufficient number of quality proposals.

How to apply

If you would like to be considered as a host university, please complete the following on-line form

( https://jp.surveymonkey.com/r/R8WY2TH ) by Tuesday 18 December 2018.

We will notify you of the results by the beginning of January 2019.

Background  

A government initiative ‘Top Global University Project’ was launched in 2014 to enhance Japanese Universities’ global competitiveness. It aims to position 10 Japanese universities within the top 100 of the world university rankings within the next decade through building strong international partnerships for student and academic exchanges and research collaboration. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s education strategy, often dubbed “Abeducation”, aims to double Japan’s inbound and outbound student mobility by 2020 (to 300,000 and 120,000 respectively). In order to reach this goal, the number of government scholarships for short term study abroad has grown significantly.

These initiatives resulted in a 20% increase in the number of Japanese university students studying in the UK as visiting and exchange students between 2010 (4,084) and 2016 (5,827) according to the latest official statistics published by the Japan Student Services Organisation.  International student enrolment in Japanese universities has also increased from 208,379 in 2015 to 267,042 in 2017 as the Japanese Government aims to host 300,000 international students per year by 2020.In recent years, the university short-term study market (summer programmes, semester abroad, JYA) has seen tremendous growth in recent years with total numbers increasing from 42,000 in 2010 to 96,600 in 2016 (JASSO). The UK is a popular study destination for short-term students with numbers rising from 4,084 in 2010 to 5,827 in 2016.  Expansion of the short-term market has been driven by a host of factors including, government scholarships for short-term study, continuing strong demand from industry for graduates with good ‘global skills’, improved counselling and support offered by home institutions, academic calendar revisions allowing easier access to overseas courses, and a growing general awareness among students/influencers of the importance of gaining study abroad experience.

Demand for partnership development with overseas institutions is strong in terms of student and staff mobility including greater variety of short-term study, joint teaching, and research collaboration. They also see staff development as key to successful internationalisation and profile raising.

Over the past nine years the British Council in Japan has successfully organised a series of Inward Missions, providing opportunities for 140 staff representing 47 Japanese universities to learn about the internationalisation strategies and best practices of UK universities. The Inward Missions to date have resulted in the establishment of new partnerships between participating institutions.
 

Contact:

Mai Inui 
Programme Officer (Education)
British Council Japan
T +81 (0)3 3235 9393
F +81 (0)3 3235 8040
ihe@britishcouncil.or.jp

Ayako Towatari
Programme Manager (Education)
British Council Japan
T +81 (0)3 3235 8043
F +81 (0)3 3235 8040
ihe@britishcouncil.or.jp

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