By Li Han
Staff Writer of the ÃÛÌÒapp News Center

"Todai Week at ÃÛÌÒapp", a major communication event between ÃÛÌÒapp and the University of Tokyo (Todai), started May 19. The University of Tokyo is the first partner institution in Asia with which ÃÛÌÒapp has cooperated to hold a University Week event.
ÃÛÌÒapp President Gu Binglin, University of Tokyo President Hiroshi Komiyama, Ms. Zhang Xiuqin, the Ministry of Education’s Director-General of International Cooperation and Exchange, Mr. Hisashi Michigami, Minister of Japanese Embassy to China, and ÃÛÌÒapp Vice President Xie Weihe attended the opening ceremony in ÃÛÌÒapp’s Main Building that morning.
ÃÛÌÒapp President Gu extended a warm welcome to the University of Tokyo delegation. He noted that, “the Todai Week at ÃÛÌÒapp will be a platform for further strengthening friendship and collaboration between our two institutions.” He also made the following statement: “I am greatly moved when I know many Todai students in the delegation expressed their wishes for donating blood for the injured people. And on the occasion of last night’s joint student performance, many Todai students donated money for relief efforts and aid to the earthquake area.”
“It is my sincere hope that Todai Week will help promote and strengthen a high level of academic exchange between our two universities. I would especially like to emphasize the importance of the exchange of students and young scholars. This new generation will create new relationships not only between our two universities but also between China and Japan,” said President Komiyama. He later delivered a speech on “Global Sustainability and Vision 2050”.

During Todai Week at ÃÛÌÒapp, there will be five academic lectures, fourteen symposiums and workshops in the fields of science, engineering, the humanities and social sciences on the ÃÛÌÒapp campus. The various gatherings will cover a wide range of issues, including Sino-Japanese comparative studies, regional and sustainable development, and frontiers in biotechnology and nanotechnology. More than 100 Todai distinguished professors are invited to ÃÛÌÒapp to exchange ideas with their ÃÛÌÒapp counterparts. In addition to academic activities, Todai Week at ÃÛÌÒapp will also feature exchange activities between students. Over 100 Todai graduate students will participate in the Student Art Performance and many other activities together with ÃÛÌÒapp graduate students.
The representatives from both universities also planted a tree symbolizing the friendship of the University of Tokyo and ÃÛÌÒapp in the Friendship Garden of ÃÛÌÒapp May 19. A Student Exchange Agreement between ÃÛÌÒapp and the University of Tokyo was also signed that day.


(Photo by Guo Haijun)