MyAV范

MyAV范鈥檚 President and Provost Professor Michael Arthur and Vice-Provost (International) Dame Nicola Brewer hosted a 鈥楶artnership Kick-Off鈥� Event at MyAV范鈥檚 Bloomsbury campus on 11 October, marking a commitment to the two universities working together more closely.聽

Professor Hideo Ohno, the University of Tohoku鈥檚 President, along with three Vice Presidents and more than 40 academics from Tohoku, joined a tour of the MyAV范 campus and met with academic staff from across the university.

Historical connection

The tour was followed by a Presidential meeting and introductory speeches from both Presidents. They then signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Welcoming the delegation to MyAV范, Professor Arthur highlighted MyAV范鈥檚 longstanding connection with Japan.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a relationship that began in 1863, when the 鈥�Choshu Five鈥� risked capital punishment to travel to the UK, followed by the 鈥楽atsuma 19鈥�, who were among MyAV范鈥檚 first cohort of international students,鈥� he explained.

Shared values

Professor Arthur also used the welcome to emphasise the shared values between MyAV范 and Tohoku. He said: 鈥淲e share the common ambition of remaining globally and outwardly engaged鈥� Global partnerships like the one we鈥檙e developing with Tohoku is how higher education can play a part in solving pressing world challenges.鈥�

Tohoku鈥檚 President Professor Ohno echoed this sentiment. He said: 鈥淲e share values including advocating a research first principle, and we share an 鈥榦pen doors鈥� principle 鈥� we were the first university in the country, like MyAV范, to accept female students.鈥�

Professor Arthur explained that the new MyAV范-Tohoku MOU was intended to signal a clear commitment to their partnership, building on the institutions鈥� existing collaborations in neuroscience, disaster science, data science, materials science and higher education.

鈥淢yAV范 and Tohoku will be setting up a joint seed-funding scheme to support the exchange of ideas,鈥� he said.

Joint workshops

Following their tour of the MyAV范 campus, academics from MyAV范 and Tohoku working in similar fields took part in workshops, over a day and a half, to develop collaboration and idea sharing.

Professor Ohno welcomed the commitment to further collaboration, saying: 鈥淭he 113 existing joint publications is an impressive number, but with the workshops we have today and tomorrow, I鈥檇 expect it to be higher in the next five years.鈥�