ABOUT
For a long time, graduate school environments in Asian engineering schools have been different from those in Western countries. Ever since the late 19th century and the rapid introduction of technologies from Western civilization, there has been a prevailing idea among engineering students from Asia; that they should complete their basic education in their home countries and pursue graduate studies in the West. Asia, however, has shown remarkable economic growth in recent years, evidenced by outstanding performances from top global companies such as Hyundai, Samsung, Alibaba, Hon Hai, Toyota, and Hitachi.
Currently, top Asian universities are able to attract highly skilled undergraduate students from their own countries and from neighboring Asian countries; however, these students tend to pursue graduate education in the US or in Europe. Some skilled PhDs stay as postdocs to further their research, eventually becoming researchers or professors outside of Asia. This “brain drain” from Asian universities does not correspond with the current economic and industrial situation in Asia, nor with the advanced level of technology.
To solve problems, it is essential to understand the strengths of partners. Being close geographically makes transnational movement among Asian countries accessible, and in terms of mobility for faculty members and students within the leading Asian universities, this is certainly an advantage. Thus, Dean Mamoru Mitsuishi of the University of Tokyo proposed the inauguration of the Asian Deans’ Forum in May 2016. At the representatives’ first meeting in October 2016, member universities agreed to take collaborative action that would contribute to further nurturing of promising human resources—not only in their own countries, but within all of Asia.
To further develop international outlook and strengthen the competitiveness of Asian academia, Asian Deans’ Forum member universities will share and utilize each country’s academic and industrial strengths to realize a model that will lead research and education in the engineering field.
March 2017