In what has been the second time the University had the honour of receiving the Consul General, Mr Yanagi was welcomed by the President of the University, the Vice President for International Relations and various professors from the Faculties of Law and Business, Economics and Information Systems who maintain direct ties with Japanese universities. The reception committee also included a Japanese student at the University of Passau: Dai Oshima is currently working towards his LL.M. degree in German Law.
The University of Passau can look back on excellent long-standing links with its four Japanese partner universities, Sangyo University in Kyoto, Musashi University and Meiji University in Tokyo as well as Akita International University. These partnerships include exchange programmes for students, which are open to students enrolled at any of the faculties of the University, as well as staff mobility exchanges among visiting academics and, of course, joint research projects and exchanges.
Mr Yanagi enquired about ongoing co-operative projects in research and teaching and urged the University to further strengthen its ties with academic institutions in Japan. Both sides confirmed their willingness to further increase co-operation in the area of research. The President of the University, Professor Carola Jungwirth, said: 'The University of Passau is working consistently to sharpen its research profile – naturally, that also means internationalising its research activities. Our international network of partners are crucial to realising this aim, and I am very pleased about our great partnerships with Japanese universities.’