In regard to promotion of Asia Joint-degree Development Project

We, the Graduate School of Education Tohoku University, have adopted a five years plan (2011 – 2015) to conduct development research on “Joint-degree Program for International Education Leaders” which was selected for special expenses budget. The name for this research is “AJP: Asia Joint-Degree Project”.
The goal of this project is the formation of research center for establishing an international collaborating joint degree for international education leader training and development of a high level joint degree program to raise leaders with international perspective who would be able to tackle with Eastern Asia’s educational problems.
Concentrating specifically on Eastern Asia, we are attempting to raise (1)Education researchers able to accurately analyze current problems of education, (2)Faculty leaders able to recognize the educational problems and carry out their responsibilities for education in practice, (3)Educational administration officials able to incorporate educational reforms from all around the world in their perspective when making new policies.
The so called “KASP” is expected from such international education leaders. In other words, qualities and abilities such as: (1)High level specialized Knowledge in regard to education, (2)Empathic Attitude and understanding of Eastern Asia, (3)Acquisition of educational research Skills and Eastern Asian languages and (4)Ability to form an international human network and manage information (Practice) are expected from education leaders.
In order to achieve the goals of this project, for the first three years we have following plans; (1)we will hold joint seminars of both native and foreign educators for expertise improvement, (2)dispatch/accept educators and students from leading Eastern Asian universities through international exchange programs, (3)continue the development research on the joint degree program. For the last two years (2014 – 2015) we plan to put the actual joint degree program to experimental practice.
The project with goals mentioned above is not the type that could be carried out just by the Graduate School of Education Tohoku University. Cooperation with foreign universities as well as domestic universities, information exchanges between them and support from inside of Tohoku University itself – are all needed for its realization. We are working on both achieving our current goal through cooperation and support from various sources as well as creating the foundation on which our work would continue to expand even after the completion of the actual project.
Everyone thank you for your support and cooperation.

June, 2012

Dean of the Graduate School of Education
Kazuo Hongo