Strategic Partnership between Kyoto University and the University of Vienna
| 09. Oktober 2019
Rector Heinz W. Engl, Ambassador Hubert Heiss, President Juichi Yamagiwa (Kyoto University), Executive Vice President Kayo Inaba (Kyoto University), f.l.t.r. (©Kyoto University)
On 8 October, the University of Vienna signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the renowned Kyoto University. The agreement elevates the partnership to a new level. It serves to expand the fields of cooperation and to foster academic exchange with one of Japan's top universities.
Ties of cooperation date back to the 1990s
Both universities had ties of collaboration since 1993. In 2018, the two universities concluded a "Research Partnership Agreement“ as a pre-stage to a Strategic Partnership. A Joint Workshop with academics from both universities was organised at the University of Vienna last year. A follow-up Joint Workshop will be held from October 24-25, 2019 at Kyoto University.
Rector Heinz W. Engl, President Juichi Yamagiwa (Kyoto University), f.l.t.r. (© Kyoto University)
Intensifying the cooperation
The Strategic Partnership aims to further develop and widen opportunities for joint research. A number of collaborations are already in place in a variety of fields, for example in Comparative Social Politics, Computer Science/Knowledge Engineering, Cognitive Biology, Asian Studies, Materials Science and Materials Chemistry. However, both universities believe that there is great potential to further expand the fields of cooperation.
Future collaboration may include activities such as joint seminars, mobility fellowships and mutual research and teaching visits. Currently, the Non-EU Student Exchange Program offers three places per year for students of the University of Vienna to study in Kyoto for two semesters and vice versa.
Yoshida South Campus of Kyoto University (© Kyoto University)
Kyoto University
Founded in 1897, Kyoto University is not only the second oldest, but also one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. Around 22,600 students are currently enrolled in its undergraduate and graduate programmes. It has 10 faculties, 18 graduate schools and 13 research institutes. Kyoto University ranks high in international university rankings – # 33 in the QS World University Rankings 2020 and #65 in the World University Rankings 2020.
Close cooperation in Asia
The internationalisation strategy of the University of Vienna has identified Asia as a focus region. With Kyoto University, Fudan University and Peking University, the University of Vienna now has three Strategic Partner Universities in this region. Further Strategic Partners are the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Chicago. (red)
The International Office of the University of Vienna supports cooperation activities with Strategic Partner Universities through funding programs such as Mobility Fellowships (for research activities of three weeks to three months for predocs, postdocs and professors) and Joint Seminars (for workshops to develop joint research projects).
