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Nagaoka University of Technology Implementation Status Report of
Twinning Programs
Center for International Exchange and Education
Nagaoka University of Technology
December 2012
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Objectives and Outline of the Twinning Programs 1-1 Objectives and Features of the Twinning Programs 1
1-2 Basic Framework of the Twinning Programs 4
1-3 Implementation System of the Twinning Programs 5
2. First Half of Education in the Twinning Programs: Outline and Fundamental Engineering Education 2-1 Number of Enrolled Students 5
2-2 Content of the First Half of Education (Local Education Program) 6
2-3 Intensive Courses (Fundamental Engineering Education) 8
2-4 Operating Costs of the First Half of Education 9
2-5 Entrance Examination for the Second Half of Education 10
2-6 Summary of the First Half of Education 12
3. First Half of Education in the Twinning Programs: Japanese Language Education
3-1 Implementation Structure of Japanese Language Education 14
3-2 Japanese Language Proficiency of Twinning Program Students 19
3-3 Administration of Japanese Language Education Performance 20
3-4 Summary of Japanese Language Education 20
4. Second Half of Education in the Twinning Programs
4-1 Number of Students Enrolled in the Twinning Program s 21
4-2 Living Conditions of Twinning Program Students at NUT 22
4-3 Admission Fees and Tuition Revenue from Twinning Program Students 25
4-4 Career Paths of Twinning Program Students upon Completion of the 26
Undergraduate Program
4-5 Career Paths of Hanoi Twinning Program Students 27
4-6 Summary of the Second Half of Education 29
5. Actual Circumstances and Effects/Influences of the Twinning Programs
5-1 Securing High-Caliber Students 30
5-2 Development of Engineers Proficient in Japanese Language 31
5-3 Effects of Faculty Development through Intensive Courses 32
5-4 Interns Dispatched as On-site Teaching Assistants for Twinning Programs
32
5-5 Improving the Presence of NUT 35
Introduction A twinning program refers to an international collaborative education program that is jointly
administered by two universities located in different countries. In these programs, the first half of a student’s
undergraduate education is generally conducted in a university in their native country, and the second half is
completed in an overseas university.
Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) has participated in Malaysia twinning program as a member
of the Japanese University Consortium since 1993. In 2003, NUT inaugurated its first independent twinning
program with Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Vietnam. In 2008, NUT adopted the
“Reconstruction of Fundamental Engineering Education based on Universal Design (UD)” project as part of a
Good Practice (GP) program (quality university education promotion) conducted by Japan’s Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In this project, NUT has, over the span of three years,
implemented the development of teaching materials for Japanese language education and specialized subjects
geared toward twinning programs and faculty development (FD) programs with the education of international
students in mind. These results have been reflected in various improvements to our management of twinning
programs.
Through this process, NUT has established active twinning programs with seven universities and
institutions from four different countries by March 2012, and twinning program students account for
approximately 70% of the undergraduate international student body. In conjunction with the fact that international
students comprise as much as 10% of all our undergraduates, NUT takes pride in having twinning programs with
unique characteristics not seen in other Japanese universities.
2013 is a milestone year that marks the 20th year since NUT began its initial twinning program with
Malaysia, and the 10th year since its first independent twinning program. In conjunction with this milestone year,
this report summarizes the accomplishments of the projects thus far, organizes points of improvement that should
be reviewed, and shares other various informative approaches (Good Practice) among all concerned parties. In
order to maximize the further development of NUT’s twinning programs, this report presents a comprehensive
summary of our programs in their entirety. NUT receives many inquiries from external organizations that view
NUT’s pioneering twinning programs as a learning resource, and this report is therefore compiled with the
assumption that it will also be available to external entities.
With this report, we hope that this resource intended for sharing information within NUT can also be
used as supportive materials for a wider audience, and that it may help those looking to develop their own
twinning programs.
As the basis of this report is an evaluation conducted in 2012, the information presented here is, with some
exceptions, based on the results of programs conducted until 2011.
- 1 -
1. Objectives and Outline of the Twinning Programs 1-1 Objectives and Features of the Twinning Programs
Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) began the first twinning program (TP) conducted by a
Japanese national university in 1993, in the form of a joint partnership with Hanoi University of Science and
Technology (HUST) in Vietnam. Since then, NUT has established a series of new partnerships comprising TPs
with seven universities and institutions across four countries, summarized in Table 1 on the next page. NUT
accepts a yearly intake of 30–40 TP students in the following 6 courses: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical
Electronics and Information Engineering, Materials Science and Technology, Civil Engineering, Environmental
Systems Engineering, and Management and Information Systems Engineering.
In comparison with standard overseas study programs, TPs have the advantage of a shorter overseas stay
period. This encompasses the merits of lower costs and invested time for students, as well as allowing the
receiving university to carefully evaluate candidate students during the initial half of their education, thereby
ensuring that students of high caliber are accepted into the program.
Accordingly, the TPs of NUT are international collaborative education programs with an actively sought
objective: to “nurture the development of engineers in leadership positions with Japanese language ability”,
focusing on young people from regions that are hubs of Japan’s monozukuri culture (referring to the art, science,
and craft of the unique Japanese approach to craftsmanship and manufacturing) within the increasing globalization
of Japanese industry. NUT’s original mission at its founding was to develop engineers in leadership roles in
monozukuri, and this objective can therefore be regarded as an evolution of the mission to fit present-day
circumstances.
With this objective in mind, TP regions such as Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Mexico were selected as
regional hubs of Japanese industries’ monozukuri, with the provision of a technical education conducted in
Japanese held as a main principle. Because the continuity and financial independence of an education program are
worthwhile features, substantial efforts have been made to build programs where the various resources of both
partners are organically combined.
The characteristics of NUT’s TPs can be summarized in the following points:
• A definitive goal of nurturing engineers with an understanding of Japanese language and monozukuri
culture
• A shorter overseas study period (and an alleviation of financial burden) due to the first half of a
student’s education being conducted in their home university, and the second half conducted at NUT
• With the capability to continuously monitor students’ abilities in the first half of their education, NUT is
able to select excellent students who are suitable for the program
• Effective use of a system involving student transfers in their 3rd year of study, which is a characteristic
of NUT
• The dispatching of teaching assistants (TAs) to partner universities as part of their practical internship
training, which is a characteristic of NUT
• A program that is not dependent on transient financial support, but rather is capable of independent
sustainability
- 2 -
Furthermore, there are many other noteworthy accomplishments derived from NUT’s TPs, such as
on-site intensive courses conducted at partner universities by academic staff as part of faculty development (FD),
the development of engineering teaching materials using simple Japanese language, and the development of
engineering dictionaries in multiple languages.
Table 1 TPs implemented by NUT
University or Institution (Country) Year of Inauguration
(Fiscal Year)
System ※4 Field of Study at NUT
Hanoi University of Science and
Technology (Vietnam)
2003 Consortium Mechanical Engineering ※5
Ho Chi Minh City University of
Technology (Vietnam)
2006 Independent Electrical, Electronics and
Information Engineering
University of Danang (Vietnam) 2006 Consortium Civil Engineering
Environmental Systems Engineering
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo
León (Mexico)
2007 Independent Civil Engineering
Environmental Systems Engineering
Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico) 2007 Independent Mechanical Engineering
Management and Information
Systems Engineering
Zhengzhou University (China) ※1 2006 Independent Materials Science and Technology
Malaysia Twinning Program
(Malaysia) ※2
2005 ※3 Consortium Mechanical Engineering
Electrical, Electronics and
Information Engineering
※1 In the TP with Zhengzhou University (ZZU), a TP Junior College course (preparatory course) is conducted at the
School of Material Science and Engineering, ZZU. The duration of the first half of education at ZZU is three years, and
accepted students are transferred to the third year of the Materials Science and Technology course at NUT after
graduating from the preparatory course. The “Agreement for the Twinning Program between ZZU and NUT”
established in April 2010 enables the admission of students from the undergraduate program (regular courses) at ZZU’s
School of Material Science and Engineering to NUT. The recruitment of students for participation in this course from
the first year of undergraduate students at the School of Material Science and Engineering at ZZU is scheduled for FY
2012.
- 3 -
※2 The Malaysia TP is managed by the Malaysian government and is financed by an ODA loan from Japan. The study
program in Malaysia is called the "Japanese Associate Degree Program (JAD)" and is conducted at the University of
Selangor (UNISEL). The JAD is jointly operated by the MARA Education Foundation (YPM) of Malaysia, which
executes and manages the Malaysia Higher Education Loan Fund Project (HELP); UNISEL, which is responsible for
facility management of JAD and diploma certification; the Japanese University Group (JUG), which dispatches
Japanese teaching staff and provides the JAD curriculum; as well as the Japanese University Consortium for
Translational-education (JUCTe, a registered non-profit organization), which serves a consultative role.
※3 HELP1 (a first-stage project of the Malaysia Higher Education Loan Fund Project) started in 1993 and served as a
preparatory course for students before they entered a Japanese university. HELP2 started in 1999 and became a TP for
students who had completed one year of education in both the preparatory course and university, and were then
transferred to the second year of university in Japan. The HELP3 project initiated in 2005 involved students who
completed one year of the preparatory course and two years at their home university (the first half of education) who
were then accepted as third year students in a Japanese university. Therefore, FY 2005 is regarded as the inauguration
year for this program in this table.
※4 “Independent” refers to a program between only one home university and one host (receiving) university.
“Consortium” refers to a program between a single home university or institution and multiple host universities within a
consortium.
• Members of the Japanese University Consortium of the TP with Hanoi University of Science and Technology (JCT)
(established in October 2004) are as follows: Gunma University, Nagaoka University of Technology, Toyohashi
University of Technology, Nagoya Institute of Technology, and Gifu University (as of March 31, 2012).
• Members of the Japanese University Consortium of the TP with the University of Danang (established in November
2008): Nagaoka University of Technology, Toyohashi University of Technology, and Gifu University (as of March 31,
2012).
• Members of the Japanese University Consortium for Transnational-education (JUCTe*) for the Malaysia TP are as
follows: Shibaura Institute of Technology, Takushoku University, Okayama University of Science, Kinki University,
Keio University, Tokai University, Tokyo University of Technology, Tokyo Denki University, Musashi Institute of
Technology, Meiji University, Ritsumeikan University, Waseda University, Nagaoka University of Technology,
Saitama University, Tokyo University of Science, and Yamaguchi University.
* JUCTe was established in 2006 as a specified non-profit organization to support international education with
universities in Japan, aimed at supporting an educational consortium comprised of Japanese universities founded in
1999.
※5 The courses in NUT that accepted students at the start of the TP with Hanoi University of Science and Technology
were the Mechanical Engineering course, Materials Science and Technology course, and Environmental Systems
Engineering course. The Materials Science and Technology course and the Environmental Systems Engineering course
each accepted one student in 2006. After the “Agreement of the Twinning Program with Hanoi University of Science
and Technology and the Twinning Program with JCT” was ratified in September 2009, the Mechanical Engineering
course became the only course accepting students.
- 4 -
1-2 Basic Framework of the Twinning Programs
The first half of undergraduate education under a TP is conducted at a home university mainly by local
teaching staff for 2.5 (or 3) years, with an emphasis on Japanese language education and fundamental engineering
education. Subsequently, the latter half of education takes place for two years in a Japanese university, focusing on
advanced engineering education.
As shown in Figure 1, students who have completed the first half of education are screened (using the transfer
admission examination) by NUT or another consortium university, and only those who pass the examination are
allowed to continue their studies in Japan. Students who fail the transfer admission examination will continue to
receive their undergraduate education and obtain a degree from their home university. Students who complete the
curricula of the TP are granted a Bachelor’s Degree from the Japanese university and the home university. In the
latter half of education, TP students receive the same education and guidance as other non-TP students in the
undergraduate program, are assigned to research laboratories, and participate in an internship (Jitsumu-kunren)
program in their 4th year.
Figure 1 Basic framework of a TP
※1 Students in the Hanoi TP can be transferred to any of the stipulated member universities of the Japanese University
Consortium (Nagaoka University of Technology, Gunma University, Toyohashi University of Technology, Nagoya
Institute of Technology, and Gifu University). Students in the Danang TP can be transferred to any of the stipulated
member universities of the Japanese University Consortium (Nagaoka University of Technology, Toyohashi University
of Technology, Gunma University, and Gifu University). Students in the Malaysia TP can be transferred to any of the
member universities of the Japanese University Consortium, including JUCTe member universities.
※2 For the Malaysia TP and Zhengzhou TP, the duration of the first half of education is three years (six semesters).
※3 The undergraduate education duration at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, University of Danang,
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon and Universidad de Monterrey consists of 10 semesters, whereas that of Ho Chi
Minh City University of Technology consists of 9 semesters.
- 5 -
1-3 Implementation System of the Twinning Programs
With regard to the management of each individual TP, the nature and level of NUT’s involvement for the first
half of education varies, and is dependent on the history of establishment of each program concerned. For example,
Japanese program coordinators (International Cooperative Education Coordinators) and Japanese language
teachers are directly assigned to the Hanoi TP, Nuevo Leon TP, Monterrey TP, and Ho Chi Minh TP. In contrast,
the implementation of the first half of education in the Danang TP and Zhengzhou TP is left almost entirely to the
discretion of the home university.
As shown in Table 1 on page 2, the management of the programs by Japanese universities can be conducted
independently by a single institution or with other institutions as part of a consortium. NUT acts as the managing
organization of domestic consortiums (Hanoi TP and Danang TP) and has undertaken a position of leadership of
TPs in Japan.
Furthermore, the operation of each TP at NUT is managed by the steering committees listed below, which
mainly consist of the faculty members of each receiving department.
• Hanoi University of Science and Technology Twinning Program Committee
• Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology Twinning Program Committee
• University of Danang Twinning Program Committee
• Mexico Twinning Program Committee (Nuevo Leon TP, Monterrey TP)
• Zhengzhou University Twinning Program Committee
• Japanese University Consortium for Translational-education Committee (Malaysia TP)
Important matters related to entrance examinations are discussed and reviewed by the Entrance Examination
Committee, while matters that require intra-university administrative procedures (such as tuition exemption) are
addressed by the Academic International Committee. In addition, the Center for International Exchange and
Education also provides support for the first half of the TP education, such as Japanese language education.
2. First Half of Education in the Twinning Programs: Outline and Fundamental Engineering Education
2-1 Number of Enrolled Students
In principle, each home university is responsible for conducting the recruitment of students for the first half
of education. For TPs conducted mainly by NUT (Hanoi TP, Ho Chi Minh TP, Danang TP, Nuevo Leon TP,
Monterrey TP, Zhengzhou TP), approximately 160–180 students have participated in the first half of the program
every year (excluding Malaysia TP) since 2007, as shown in Table 2 on page 6.
6
Table 2 Number of students participating in TPs for the first half of education (FY 2003–2011)
Program 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Hanoi TP ※1 9 (Apr.) 32 (Oct.) 22 47 37 18 0 40 17 30
Ho Chi Minh TP 8 18 22 14 13 9
Danang TP 32 40 20 20 5 18
Nuevo Leon TP 9 9 14 26 15
Monterrey TP 12 13 14 11 9
Zhengzhou TP 64 73 72 86 106
Malaysia TP ※
2
75 87 84 87 69 70
TOTAL 41 22 47 152 248 221 261 227 257
※1 In April 2003, the first cohort of 9 students enrolled in the Hanoi TP, followed by the second cohort of 32 students
in October 2003.
※2 Number of students enrolled in the first half of education for HELP3.
2-2 Content of the First Half of Education (Local Education Program)
As shown in Table 3 on the next page, several home universities hold TP student orientation sessions for
newly enrolled students annually. NUT faculty members also participate in these sessions in order to improve
student recruitment (Hanoi TP, Danang TP, Monterrey TP, Nuevo Leon TP, and Zhengzhou TP). In the Danang TP,
alumni of the program provide Vietnamese translations for presentations by faculty members of NUT and the
consortium universities, thereby enabling effective communication of the content and realities of the TP. For the
enrollment of students to the first half of education in Hanoi TP, Danang TP, Monterrey TP, and Nuevo Leon TP;
each home university screens candidate students (to determine eligibility for the TPs) by evaluating academic
achievements and through interviews. As shown in Table 4 on page 8, Monterrey TP and Nuevo Leon TP have
problems providing Japanese language teaching staff and securing classrooms during the first half of education,
resulting in a restriction on the number of students able to enroll in the program. In addition, due to a large number
of students who leave the program, it is difficult to ensure the continuous enrollment of students. There are other
programs with decreasing student numbers, but because these programs have no issues with securing teaching staff
and classrooms, the continuous enrollment of students is likely possible through improvements to recruitment
methods.
Furthermore, as shown in Table 5 on page 8, the short-term intensive courses and pre-admission training
programs conducted by NUT faculty members during the first half of education have been devised to increase the
motivation of TP students for studying in Japan and to allow a smooth transition to lectures given at NUT. Because
students of Zhengzhou TP enter NUT in September, an introductory program involving all the faculty members
from the Department of Materials Science and Technology is conducted immediately before enrollment, beginning
from mid-August. Questionnaire surveys taken after these short-term training programs have shown an extremely
high level of satisfaction toward these programs. Intensive Japanese language courses conducted in the students’
home countries immediately before coming to Japan are extremely effective for brushing up Japanese language
skills.
7
[Short-Term Training Programs for TPs]
• Summer Training Programs (Monterrey TP and Nuevo Leon TP)
• Training and introductory programs immediately before admission (Ho Chi Minh TP, Zhengzhou
TP)
• Twinning Program Support Programs (assisted by the International Student Exchange Support
Program [Short-Stay Program] managed by the Japan Student Services Organization) conducted in
all TPs except the Malaysia TP
The first half of education for the TPs consists of fundamental engineering and Japanese language education
conducted by the home university. The courses for fundamental engineering education to be taught at a home
university are first checked for compatibility between the curricula of both universities before implementation. The
curricula of the home university and NUT undergo minor changes every year (with more extensive changes when
required). However, there are cases where despite confirmation of compatibility prior to the start of the program,
the requisite changes to the home university's program are deemed unsatisfactory. For that reason, it is necessary
for each TP steering committee to confirm the home university's curriculum every year, and to revise the tables of
curricula equivalence as needed.
In addition, Zhengzhou University employs doctoral students as class instructors to support fundamental
engineering education conducted at the home university, and also employs clerical staff dedicated to the
Zhengzhou TP.
Table 3 Student recruitment and screening by the respective TPs
8
Table 4 Trends in student enrollment numbers in the first half of education of each TP
Table 5 Implementation statuses of the following courses conducted in Japanese language: local intensive courses,
pre-admission training and summer term training, and Japanese technical language education courses led by NUT
interns.
2-3 Intensive Courses (Fundamental Engineering Education)
Intensive courses in fundamental engineering are conducted by faculty members of NUT and consortium
universities for all TPs associated with NUT. These provide opportunities for TP students to study engineering
subjects in classes conducted in Japanese while still in their home countries. The intensive courses are very
effective in motivating the TP students for studying in Japan.
In addition, many faculty members from both NUT and the consortium universities participate in preliminary
training for these intensive courses as part of FD activities, which are well-regarded as FD training for the teaching
staff of Japanese universities. These activities have also been highly evaluated by the Japanese Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology through its Education GP program (See Section 5-5:
Improving the Presence of NUT, on page 35).
As an example of the implementation status of intensive courses, the details of courses conducted in FY 2011
are shown in Table 6 on the next page. In the administration of these intensive courses, a video conferencing
9
system has been used on a trial basis in the Monterrey TP.
Table 6 List of TP intensive courses conducted in FY 2011
TUT: Toyohashi University of Technology NITech: Nagoya Institute of Technology
2-4 Operating Costs of the First Half of Education
A TP is a collaborative education program jointly managed between the home university or institution and the
host university. As such, the operating costs of the program are in principle shared by both parties.
Operating costs for the first half of education in the various TPs conducted by NUT in FY 2011 included
expenses for international collaborative education program coordinators and pre-transfer Japanese language
intensive courses (Danang TP), overseas travel expenses for staff to conduct intensive courses and entrance
examinations at the home universities, and purchase of Japanese language education materials. The expenses for
- 10 -
the different cost components and in total varied among the programs.
Consortium operating costs include expenses for the TP between HUST and the consortium in Japan (400,000
yen per year), the Hanoi administration office (200,000 Yen per year), and JUCTe operating costs for the Malaysia
TP (600,000 Yen per year).
Budget allotments (operating costs subsidies) for FY 2012 are as follows:
Budget Item Allotment
Vietnam TP (Hanoi TP, Ho Chi Minh TP, Danang TP)※1 6,781,000 Yen
Mexico TP(Nuevo Leon TP, Monterrey TP) 5,200,000 Yen
Malaysia TP 1,210,000 Yen
Zhengzhou TP 1,200,000 Yen
※1 Program names are shown in parentheses.
2-5 Entrance Examination for the Second Half of Education 1) Numbers of Twinning Program Entrance Examination Applicants and Successful Candidates
As shown in Table 7, the numbers of applicants for the third year of the undergraduate program at NUT vary
among the TPs. As a whole, this number has been increasing since the TPs began (excluding the Hanoi TP). Table
8, shown on the next page, presents the numbers of successful candidates admitted to the third year of the
undergraduate program at NUT.
Table 7 Number of TP applicants for the entrance examination to the third year at NUT
Program Major ※1 Student
Enrollment
Target
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Hanoi TP MECH A few 6 13 10 11 7 3 0 6
Ho Chi Minh TP EEI Approximately
15
8 15 17 10
Danang TP CIVIL A few 6 3 2 7
Nuevo Leon TP CIVIL A few 3 1 5
Monterrey TP MECH A few 2 7 1
MIS A few 1 5 3
Zhengzhou TP MST A few 10 16 11
Malaysia TP MECH A few 2 4 4 1 3
EEI A few 4 2 3 3 3
Total 6 13 10 17 27 44 56 49
※1 MECH: Mechanical Engineering, EEI: Electrical, Electronics and Information Engineering, MST: Materials
Science and Technology, CIVIL: Civil Engineering, MIS: Management and Information Systems Engineering
- 11 -
Table 8 Number of successful TP candidates admitted to the third year at NUT
Program Major ※
1
Student
Enrollment
Target
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Hanoi TP MECH A few 3 10 3 5 1 1 0 3
Ho Chi Minh TP EEI Approximately
15
8 14 17 4
Danang TP CIVIL A few 2 2 2 5
Nuevo Leon TP CIVIL A few 2 1 4
Monterrey TP MECH A few 2 6 0
MIS A few 0 5 3
Zhengzhou TP MST A few 10 8 8
Malaysia TP MECH A few 2 4 2 1 3
EEI A few 4 2 1 3 3
Total 3 10 3 5 17 34 43 33
※1 MECH: Mechanical Engineering, EEI: Electrical, Electronics and Information Engineering, MST: Materials
Science and Technology, CIVIL: Civil Engineering, MIS: Management and Information Systems Engineering
2) Entrance Examination for the Second Half of Education
In the second half of the TP, students transferred to the third year of the undergraduate program at NUT
receive the same education and research guidance as Japanese students. In 2011, the written component of the
transfer entrance examination was discontinued, and admission to NUT is currently determined by the screening of
application documents and oral interviews (including an oral examination of engineering subjects and Japanese
language ability). In the Hanoi TP and Ho Chi Minh TP, students are able to sit for the Examination for Japanese
University Admission for International Students (EJU), which is conducted on site by the Japan Student Services
Organization. In these TPs, taking the EJU is compulsory and the examination results are included with the
application documents.
The written component of the transfer entrance examination was included from the beginning of the TP, but
withdrawn due to the following reason: in contrast to standard entrance examinations, which are open to the
general student population, the academic ability in Japanese language and specialized subjects of students taking
the TP entrance examination can be continuously monitored by NUT faculty members during the first half of their
education. The necessary information regarding the academic capability of students can therefore be obtained by
screening application documents and other resources. At the first Twinning Program Promotion Committee
Meeting of FY 2010 (held on February 1, 2011), the removal of the written component of the entrance
examination was unanimously agreed upon by the chairmen of the various TP steering committees. Based on
opinions presented at this meeting, it was put forth at the 5th Meeting of the Entrance Examination Committee of
FY 2011 (held on July 27, 2011) that the Japanese language ability of the students can be evaluated by interviews
and by including the results of Japanese language tests in the first half of education to the application documents;
the written examination could therefore be discontinued as part of the entrance examination. As a result, the
- 12 -
written component of the TP entrance examination was formally removed in FY 2012.
Table 9 summarizes the items used for the assessment of Japanese language ability, and shows that the
evaluations are different among the TPs. Because no standardized indices are available, the Japanese language
assessment methodologies are left to the discretion of each individual TP.
As described above, NUT is involved from the first half of education for TP students. Therefore, the TP
entrance examination may be considered to be analogous to the yearly promotion examinations in the
undergraduate course.
Table 9 List of Japanese language ability evaluation items in each of the TP entrance examinations
※1 Performance (attendance, assignment submission, and quiz grades) is evaluated by on-site Japanese language
teachers.
※2 Final examinations for each term are conducted by on-site Japanese language teachers or the local university.
※3 In the Hanoi TP, evaluation is conducted by three Japanese language teachers. Items for evaluation include
Japanese proficiency (speaking, listening comprehension, writing ability, and reading comprehension), class
performance (assignment submission, attendance, and attitude in the class) and others (proactiveness, flexibility,
logicality, communication ability, and cooperativeness).
※4 Within the countries with NUT-implemented TPs, the cities where students are able to take the Examination for
Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) include Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Kuala Lumpur.
2-6 Summary of the First Half of Education 1) Recruitment of Twinning Program Students
In principle, the recruitment of TP students is conducted by each home university. In addition, NUT faculty
members participate in on-site orientation for students and conduct public relations activities for NUT, which has
shown to be an effective means of student recruitment. Furthermore, screening of students by the home university
(to determine eligibility for participation in a TP) has an impact on the subsequent administration of the program;
it is therefore necessary for this screening to be conducted appropriately with consideration to factors such as class
size.
In the Zhengzhou TP, only students in the preparatory course of the School of Material Science and
- 13 -
Engineering at Zhengzhou University were able to participate in the program until FY 2011. From FY 2012
onward, the participation of other students in Zhengzhou University was permitted by the Chinese government,
and a total of 47 high-caliber students from the regular courses were enrolled in the first half of education in the TP.
In this way, NUT is working to secure exceptional students.
2) First Half of Education (Fundamental Engineering Education)
Fundamental engineering courses in the first half of education are developed after verifying educational
content equivalence using the curricula and syllabuses of both the home and host universities. However, alterations
and revisions are occasionally made depending on the circumstances of each university, and the courses should
therefore be periodically checked for consistency. It is necessary for the various TP steering committees to
annually check the curricula of the home universities, and amend the tables of equivalence for the curricula as
needed.
On-site intensive courses in the first half of education stimulate TP students to form specific goals for
studying in Japan, and are also an effective means to motivate the students. Because the on-site intensive courses
can also be used as FD training for teaching staff, they should be conducted methodically and systematically in the
future.
NUT’s direct participation in the on-site short-term intensive courses is also effective in motivating TP
students. The effectiveness of the program should be further improved through review of the training program
content in each TP. Furthermore, the pre-admission training and orientation training conducted by NUT for TP
students are also effective methods for supporting their learning and life in Japan. These training programs, which
include teaching the students how to prepare experimental reports, are designed to allow the students to apply
these skills immediately after entering NUT and adapt to the classes. However, it is difficult to master everything
in a short time, and it may be prudent to also include training on report writing and other classes in the intensive
courses.
The combined use of video conferencing systems, intensive courses using e-learning systems, and other
measures are effective in motivating TP students and giving them tangible goals of studying at NUT.
3) Expenses Incurred in the First Half of Education
As the content of support and actual costs incurred in the first half of education vary among the TPs, these
expenses should be discussed separately. TPs are fundamentally programs that can be operated autonomously,
financed from admission fees and tuition fees according to the number of accepted students. As subsidies for
operating costs are in the midst of being reduced, the securing of operating funds need to be reviewed further,
including the acquisition of external funds (such as the establishment of funds).
4) The Approach to Twinning Program Entrance Examinations
Because NUT is involved in the education of TP students from the first half of education, there are some that
think the entrance examination is equivalent to an “examination for promotion to the next grade" and that it should
not be mandatory for students. In contrast, others think that the current entrance examination should continue to be
conducted, as these provide quality assurance of education in the program. As the TP transfer entrance
examination is also under discussion at NUT, these topics should continue to be discussed at the meetings of the
- 14 -
associated committees in NUT, such as the Entrance Examination Committee.
3. First Half of Education in the Twinning Programs: Japanese Language Education
3-1 Implementation Structure of Japanese Language Education
1) Implementation Structure of Japanese Language Education
A TP is a program for international students to study at a Japanese university, and requires students to have a
level of Japanese language ability that allows them to understand lectures of specialized courses in Japanese.
There are two types of implementation structures of Japanese language education in the first half of education,
as shown below.
[1] Cases involving the collaboration between on-site Japanese language teaching staff selected by NUT and
Japanese language teaching staff of NUT.
[2] Cases where Japanese language education is at the complete discretion of the home university.
Table 10 Japanese language education implementation structure of the various TPs
Program Implementation Structure of
Japanese Language Education
Credit Recognition of Courses
in the Home University
Management System of Academic
Results
Hanoi TP Implemented jointly by on-site
Japanese language teaching
staff selected by NUT and
Japanese language teaching
staff of NUT
Yes Coordinator
Nuevo Leon TP No Coordinator
Monterrey TP No Coordinator
Ho Chi Minh TP No Coordinator (in preparation)
Danang TP Japanese language education
is at the complete discretion of
the home university
Yes Home university (College of Foreign
Languages, University of Danang)
Zhengzhou TP Yes Home university
Table 11 shows the curriculum of the 8th Cohort of the Hanoi TP, and Table 12 shows the Danang TP curriculum.
In the Danang TP, the College of Foreign Languages, the University of Danang conducts Japanese language
education at the request of Danang University of Technology. Although the College of Foreign Languages does not
utilize Japanese language teaching staff selected by NUT, they provide Japanese language education for the TP
according to the curriculum jointly developed by on-site Japanese language teaching staff (Vietnamese nationals)
and the teaching staff of NUT.
Japanese language education in the Malaysia TP is operated primarily by Takushoku University, which acts as
the managing organization of the Japan University Group of the Malaysia TP. Therefore, the Japanese language
education in the first half of this program is not presented in this report.
15
Table 11 NUT-led Japanese language education curriculum (Hanoi TP 8th Cohort)
学年
セメスター
10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 月
40 80 120 140 180 220 260 280 320 360 400 440 480 500 540 580 620 640 680 720 760 800 840 880 時間数累計
みんなの日本語1(主教材) 試験 正月 試験 休(2週) 正月 試験 休(2週) 試験
みんなの日本語2(主教材)
BKB(漢字500字)
みんなの日本語1,2 トピック25
みんなの日本語1,2 聴解タスク25
みんなの日本語 作文
中級へ行こう 試験
毎日の聞き取り50日(初級 下)
新・毎日の聞き取り(中級・上)
科学技術の日本語
大学・大学院留学生の日本語⑤漢字
N3文法
機械工学の日本語・中級
大学・大学院留学生の日本語 読解
大学・大学院留学生の日本語 論文読解
留学試験対策(読解・聴解・聴読解・記述)
基礎数学
物理
科学技術の日本語
実験
集:機械工作
集:工業力学
集:材料学
集:水力学
集:光学
プレゼン・レポート練習など
↑日本での生活のための日本語など
3 4
工学日本語
1
教材レベル
5 直前
3
初級
初中級
中級
2
1 2
16
Table 12 Japanese language education curriculum of a home university (Danang TP) ダナンツイニング・プログラム 日本語カリキュラム As of 31 March 09
学期 週/コマ 総合 表記/発音 聴解 読解 作文 会話 宿題/自習用 試験用など 備考
1学期 みんなの日本語Ⅰ BKB~L14 み 教科書CD み トピック25 み やさしい作文 み ビデオ み 文型練習帳 み 標準問題集
み タスク25 み 漢字英語版
みんなの日本語Ⅰ BKB~L38 み 教科書CD み トピック25 み やさしい作文 み ビデオ み 文型練習帳 み 標準問題集
みんなの日本語Ⅱ シャドーイング み タスク25 み 漢字英語版
毎日の聞き取り初級編 上
(~4w)みんなの日本語Ⅱ BKB~L45 み 教科書CD み トピック25 み やさしい作文 み ビデオ み 文型練習帳 み 標準問題集
み タスク25 み 漢字英語版
毎日の聞き取り初級編 上 下
(5w~)中級へ行こう 毎日の聞き取り初級編 下 3級問題 み やさしい作文 中級へ行こう
3級問題
聴解が弱いあなたへ
留学生の日本語⑤ 聴解が弱いあなたへ 留学生の日本語②
新・毎日の聞き取り 上
J Bridge 2級問題 留学生の日本語①
2級問題
科学技術日本語案内 留学生の日本語⑤ 新・毎日の聞き取り 下 留学生の日本語① 留学生の日本語②
2級問題 2級問題 留学生の日本語③
2級問題
12週180コマ
(135時間)
12週180コマ
(135時間)
12週180コマ
(135時間)
12週180コマ
(135時間)
12週180コマ
(135時間)4学期
2学期
3学期
シャドーイングは、既習の文型・文法を利用する
漢字語彙が弱いあなたへ
読解をはじめるあなたへ
初級文型で学ぶ科学技術の日本語
読解をはじめるあなたへ
5学期
2) Time and Duration of Japanese Language Education
The program started with the aim of securing approximately 1,200 hours of Japanese language classes upon
completion of the first half of education. However, in the Hanoi TP—the inaugural program—the curriculum for
Japanese language education over 2.5 years was only able to ensure 1,125 hours (15 hours 15 weeks 5 terms =
1,125 hours*). In reality, the original target of 1,200 hours and the subsequent target of 1,125 hours could not be
attained. Furthermore, as shown in the following points [1] to [3], there were variations in the hours of Japanese
language education, duration of Japanese language education, and class size among the TPs. (Details of each TP
are shown on page 14.) In the Malaysia TP (HELP3), Japanese language education was conducted for
approximately 1,200 hours over the three years of the first half of education.
[1] Hours of Japanese language education (640–950 hours)
[2] Class size (approximately 15–100 students)
[3] Duration of Japanese language education (2.2–2.5 years)
* Lesson hours as specified by the "Operation Standards for Japanese Language Education Institutions" issued by
the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education are as follows:
(Lesson Hours)
Japanese Language Education Institutions should provide 760 or more lesson hours over one year, with more than
20 hours per week.
The reason for setting the study duration for Japanese language education at 1,200 lesson hours is as follows:
The forerunner of preparatory courses for studying in Japan is a special course known as Ambang Asuhan Jepun
(AAJ), operated by the University of Malaya as part of the Look East Policy established by the Malaysian
government in 1982. The objective for this program is for Malaysian students to matriculate to the first year of an
17
undergraduate program at a Japanese university. Here, the lesson hours for Japanese language education are
slightly less than 1,000 hours over two years. From 1992, the Malaysian government started the Malaysia Higher
Education Loan Fund Project (HELP) using a yen loan (ODA) fund from Japan. After the second stage of the
project (HELP2) commenced in 1999, it evolved to a TP wherein students would transfer to Japanese higher
education institutions (Malaysia TP). In these cases, Japanese language lesson hours of the AAJ were used as the
base model and a target of approximately 1,200 hours was stipulated (duration of learning was two years for
HELP2 and three years for the subsequent HELP3).
The target of the AAJ is admission to the first year of an undergraduate program at a Japanese university,
whereas that of the Malaysia TP is transfer to the third year of an undergraduate program at a Japanese university;
the goals are therefore somewhat different. However, with regard to the cultivation of Japanese language ability
required to study specialized subjects in an undergraduate program, the goals of both programs are the same.
Therefore, there is a common recognition that 1,200 hours of learning is the standard required for cultivating an
academic Japanese ability for studying in Japan.
At NUT, Japanese language teaching staff set the target of 1,200 lesson hours for Japanese language
education based on the results of feasibility studies on TPs and referring to precedent programs with long histories
and practical achievements.
The Japanese language implementation statuses for each of the TPs (as of March 2012) are as follows:
Hanoi TP
Total hours of Japanese language education: Approximately 860 hours (2.5 years)
Number of Japanese language teaching staff: 2 full-time Japanese teaching staff, 2 part-time Japanese teaching
staff (only during the peak period from October through December), 3 Vietnamese teaching staff
Size of Japanese language classes: 8th cohort: two classes (12 students in class A, 10 students in class B); 9th
cohort: 1 class (16 students); 10th cohort: two classes (15 students in class A, 15 students in class B)
Securing of Japanese language lesson hours: The time necessary for Japanese language classes is secured
through discussions with the School of International Education (SIE)—which manages the TP together with HUST
—while adjusting for the lecture hours of engineering subjects.
Ho Chi Minh TP
Total hours of Japanese language education: Approximately 950 hours (2.2 years)
Number of Japanese language teaching staff: 1 Japanese teaching staff and 4 Vietnamese teaching staff
Size of Japanese language classes: 4th cohort: 1 class (10 students); 5th cohort: 1 class (15 students); 6th cohort:
1 class (9 students)
Securing of Japanese language lesson hours: Due to lectures for specialized subjects, Japanese language classes
are conducted from 6:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Danang TP
Total hours of Japanese language education: Approximately 675 hours (2.5 years)
Number of Japanese language teaching staff: 1 volunteer Japanese language teaching staff and 7 Vietnamese
18
teaching staff
Size of Japanese language classes: 4th cohort: 1 class (7 students); 5th cohort: 1 class (5 students); 6th cohort: 1
class (18 students)
Securing of Japanese language lesson hours: The Japanese language teaching staff are from the College of
Foreign Languages, the University of Danang; which is a 1-hour commute from Danang University of Technology.
This presents difficulties for adjustments to the class schedules. At present, Japanese language is taught 3 days a
week (five classes each time, for a total of 15 classes). Because night classes increase the burden on students, it is
difficult to increase the number of class hours.
Nuevo Leon TP
Total hours of Japanese language education: Approximately 750 hours (2.5 years)
Number of Japanese language teaching staff: 2 full-time Japanese teaching staff
Size of Japanese language classes: 3rd cohort: 1 class (4 students); 4th cohort: 1 class (6 students); 5th cohort: 2
classes (1 student in the morning and 4 students in the afternoon)
Securing of Japanese language lesson hours: Japanese language classes are difficult to conduct at night due to
classes for specialized subjects being conducted from 7:00 am to 8:00 p.m. and the terms of the contract between
Japanese language teaching staff and the local university. The class schedule of specialized subjects for each
student must be checked every school term before the time schedule of Japanese language classes can be
determined. For this reason, increasing the total lesson hours for Japanese language education remains difficult.
Monterrey TP
Total hours of Japanese language education: Approximately 750 hours (2.5 years)
Number of Japanese language teaching staff: 2 part-time Japanese teaching staff
Size of Japanese language classes: 3rd cohort: 1 class (3 students); 4th cohort: 1 class (4 students); 5th cohort: 1
class (6 students)
Securing of Japanese language lesson hours: Japanese language classes are difficult to conduct at night due to
the classes for specialized subjects being conducted until 8:00 p.m. and the terms of the contract between Japanese
language teaching staff and the local university. The different majors of the TP students and the ensuing different
class schedules requires these schedules to be checked every term before the time schedule for Japanese language
education can be determined. For this reason, increasing the total lesson hours for Japanese language education
remains difficult.
Zhengzhou TP
Total hours of Japanese language education: Approximately 640 hours
Number of Japanese language teaching staff: 1 full-time Chinese teaching staff and 1 part-time Chinese
teaching staff
Size of Japanese language classes: 3rd cohort: 1 class (approximately 70 students); 4th cohort: 1 class
(approximately 80 students); 5th cohort: 2 classes (approximately 50 students per class)
Securing of Japanese language lesson hours: Japanese language is offered as one of the standard foreign
language subjects in Zhengzhou University. This TP places importance on basic education of specialized subjects
19
taught in Japanese to compensate for the lack of Japanese language learning time. Despite this short time for
studying Japanese, students are able to learn specialized subjects in Japanese due to the common use of Chinese
characters in both languages.
Although each TP steering committee is aware of the shortage of Japanese language lesson hours, these hours
are limited due to the specialized subject hours and class schedules in the home universities, as well as the nature
of the work contracts between the Japanese language teaching staff and the home universities. This shortage of
lesson hours for Japanese language education has been compensated for using the following methods: intensive
courses in specialized subjects conducted in Japanese language by NUT faculty members (or faculty members of
consortium universities), as described in Section 2–3 “Intensive Courses (Fundamental Engineering Education)”
on page 8; and the introduction of specialized subject education in Japanese language tailored to engineering
courses by NUT’s interns (currently implemented in Hanoi TP, Danang TP, Nuevo Leon TP, and Monterrey TP), as
described in Section 5–4 “Interns Dispatched as On-site Teaching Assistants for Twinning Programs” on page 32.
3) Coordinators of Japanese Language Education and International Cooperative Education
In addition to teaching Japanese language, some of the on-site Japanese language teaching staff screened and
selected by NUT also act as International Cooperative Education Coordinators in charge of the assignments
detailed below. Except for TPs where Japanese language education is at the complete discretion of the home
university (Hanoi TP, Ho Chi Minh TP, Nuevo Leon TP, and Monterrey TP), the on-site Japanese language
teaching staff act as coordinators between the home university and NUT. The duties of the coordinators are as
follows:
[1] Japanese language education, communications and coordination with the home university, and providing
support for transfer entrance examinations for TP students.
[2] Submission of monthly reports (including Japanese language lesson hours, educational materials used,
learning targets, progression of learning, and other communications)
[3] Manage and report attendance in Japanese language lessons, homework submission rates, and results of
quizzes and final examinations.
3-2 Japanese Language Proficiency of Twinning Program Students
To ascertain the actual statuses of Japanese language education of all the TPs and to produce reference data
for further modifications to the curricula as necessary, the Japanese language achievement test was administered
to all TP students at the end of the first half of education in FY 2011.
Tests for composition, conversation, and listening comprehension were not conducted in FY 2011; the test
content will be conducted regularly henceforth, with close examination of the test content.
3-3 Administration of Japanese Language Education Performance
As shown in Table 10 on page 14, performances of Japanese language education (indicated by data
concerning attendance, results of quizzes, assignments, and final examinations) from several TPs are managed by
20
the respective International Cooperative Education Coordinators and reported to NUT. When no International
Cooperation Education Coordinator is assigned to the program, these responsibilities fall to the home university;
credits and grades of Japanese language courses are recorded in the students’ academic transcripts. Some home
universities recognize the credits from Japanese language courses as academic credits in that university, whereas
others do not.
3-4 Summary of Japanese Language Education
1) Japanese Language Lesson Hours
A target of 1,125 Japanese language lesson hours was originally established for Japanese language education
(2.5 years) in the inaugural Hanoi TP, but this target could not be reached in any of the TPs. In addition to general
Japanese language education, it is necessary to introduce Japanese language for specialized subjects in
engineering courses at an early stage (implemented in Hanoi TP, Danang TP, Nuevo Leon TP, and Monterrey TP).
In the Zhengzhou TP, the students’ familiarity with Chinese characters and the early implementation of
fundamental engineering education in Japanese language is expected to effectively compensate for the lack of
Japanese language lesson hours.
In the implementation of courses for Japanese language education specifically for engineering by NUT’s
overseas interns, cooperation between Japanese language teaching staff and engineering teaching staff at NUT is
necessary to provide the requisite guidance and advice. Similarly, implementation of Japanese language education
at the home universities requires ample cooperation between on-site Japanese language teaching staff and NUT’s
Japanese language teaching staff.
2) Quality of Japanese Language Teaching Staff
It is important to employ native Japanese teaching staff with abundant teaching and coordinator experience,
and the recruitment and selection of these staff should be performed by the local university or NUT. Currently,
programs where Japanese language education is conducted by full-time native Japanese teaching staff include
Hanoi TP, Nuevo Leon TP, Monterrey TP (in which recruitment and selection are conducted by NUT), and Ho Chi
Minh TP (in which NUT is not involved in recruitment and selection). The Danang TP utilizes volunteer Japanese
language teaching staff. At the Zhengzhou TP, only native Chinese teaching staff are currently available, with
students requesting for native Japanese teaching staff.
3) Quality of Japanese Language Education
A system is needed in which aspects of Japanese language education at the home universities (such as
curricula, class schedules, and academic performances) are managed, and NUT is able to monitor performances
and implementation statuses. Furthermore, the Japanese language achievement test conducted in FY 2011 is
scheduled for all subsequent TP students at the end of the first half of their education. As described earlier, further
detailed examination of the test content will be carried out and the incorporation of content related to reading and
listening comprehension, conversation, and composition will be considered. At present, NUT is looking into the
use of video conferencing systems in the administration of tests.
21
4. Second Half of Education in the Twinning Programs
4-1 Number of Students Enrolled in the Twinning Programs
When NUT accepted the first cohort of students from the Hanoi TP in FY 2005, there were only three TP
students enrolled in the program. Although the number of enrolling students has fluctuated yearly, TPs from FY
2010 onward (when admissions from all programs began) have shown an annual intake of between 20 to 40
students in the third year of the undergraduate program at NUT (Table 13). Furthermore, as shown in Table 14 on
next page, 74 of the 106 international students enrolled in undergraduate programs at NUT are TP students (as of
September 1, 2011). This corresponds to approximately 70% of all undergraduate international students and over
25% of all 295 international students at NUT.
Table 13 Student enrollment to the third year of the undergraduate program at NUT
Program Major
※1
Student
Enrollment
Target
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Hanoi TP MECH A few 3 9 3 3 1 1 0 2
Ho Chi Minh TP EEI Approximately
15
7 14 17 4
Danang TP CIVIL A few 2 2 1 2
Nuevo Leon TP CIVIL A few 1 1 4
Monterrey TP MECH A few 2 6 0
MIS A few 0 4 3
Zhengzhou TP MST A few 10 6 8
Malaysia TP MECH A few 1 3 2 1 2
EEI A few 1 1 1 3 3
Total 3 9 3 5 14 33 39 28
※1 MECH: Mechanical Engineering, EEI: Electrical Electronics and Information Engineering, MST: Materials Science
and Technology, CIVIL: Civil Engineering, MIS: Management and Information Systems Engineering
22
Table 14 Proportion of TP students in NUT international students by country (as of September 1, 2011)
Country
Number of International Students by Country Proportion of TP Students
Undergraduat
e
Master’
s
Professiona
l Degree
Doctora
l
Othe
r ※1
Tota
l
TP
Student
s※2
Among
undergraduat
e international
students
Among all
internationa
l students
Vietnam 44 20 0 13 3 80 37 84% 35%
China 20 25 0 12 3 60 16 80% 15%
Malaysia 22 9 0 10 3 44 7 32% 7%
Mexico 14 1 0 4 5 24 14 100% 13%
Total 100 58 0 47 14 208 74
70% 25%
Total
number of
internationa
l students
106 78 1 79 31 294 74
※1 Non-degree students (Research Students, Exchange Students, and Research Exchange Students)
※2 This shows the distribution of the TP students among the undergraduate international students.
In the second half of education of the TPs, the TP students in the various programs receive the same
education and research guidance as the other undergraduate students at NUT. In the Zhengzhou TP, students are
allocated to various research departments to facilitate individual guidance from supervisors.
With regard to Japanese language, TP students are able to take Japanese language classes and Japanese
Affairs subjects based on the results of a Japanese language placement test, which is given to all international
students. TP students can receive support for their studies from graduate students at NUT through the use of the
"Study Supporter System" aimed at undergraduate students. Furthermore, students who are accepted to the
master’s degree program at NUT are able to participate in a 5-month internship (Jitsumu-kunren) during their 4th
year as part of NUT’s unique curriculum.
4-2 Living Conditions of Twinning Program Students at NUT
1) Proportion of Twinning Program Students Residing in Student Dormitories
There are five student dormitories (see ※1 in Figure 2 below) accommodating both Japanese and
international students. The dormitories encompass 402 single rooms for Japanese students and 85 single rooms,
married couple rooms, and family rooms for international students (an additional 17 rooms for married couples
and families are available for either Japanese or international students.). Figure 2 shows the number of
international student residents in the dormitories for the past three years, and demonstrates that the number of TP
student residents has been increasing. In FY 2011, international students (including non-degree students) were
residing in 78 rooms, with TP students residing in 27 of these rooms. However, student dormitories are
chronically insufficient, and many TP students are unable to reside in the dormitories; instead, they have to seek
accommodation in nearby off-campus apartments or houses. Rental fees of these lodgings are higher than those of
23
student dormitories, and it is extremely difficult for students to coordinate the securing of lodgings near the
campus with their arrival in Japan. This creates a heavy burden on faculty members who are assigned to take care
of these students. In particular, Zhengzhou TP students enroll in NUT in September, when the vacancy of private
apartments and rented houses is extremely low compared with that of April. These students generally have to
reside far from the university, and in addition to the higher rental fees, expenses for public transport (such as
buses) impose a financial burden on students.
Figure 2 International students residing in university dormitories.
※1 Student dormitories, International student dormitories, International House, 30th Anniversary Student House,
International Lodge
※2 Number of non-TP international student residents, including non-degree students.
2) Statuses of Scholarship Receipt and Tuition Exemption when Transferring to the Third Year of the
Undergraduate Program
Exemption systems for admission fees and tuition fees are in place for all of the TPs, excluding the Malaysia
TP. The amount exempted is either all or half of the total fees to be paid in a fiscal year. The actual exemption
amount for each TP is equivalent to one student’s share per university. In addition, the students are eligible to
apply for fee exemptions that are open to all students at NUT. In addition to the TP fee exemption system, students
with outstanding academic results can also apply for exemption of all or half of the total fees using this system.
Furthermore, some TP students receive scholarships aimed at all NUT students. These include 30th
Anniversary Scholars and students who have been awarded scholarships offered by external organizations.
Assessments for tuition exemptions are carried out every term, but there are many students who receive multiple
exemptions throughout their studies in the undergraduate program. There have also been students who have
consecutively received the 30th anniversary scholarship for two years.
The Malaysia TP is currently managed by the Malaysian government and the MARA Education Foundation,
24
and scholarships for the undergraduate course in this TP are provided by the Malaysian government.
Figure 3 Financial support situations of TP Students at the time of enrollment into the third year of the
undergraduate program at NUT (Enrollment between 2005 and 2011)
※1 “JASSO (Japan Student Service Organization) Scholarship” indicates students who have received only the JASSO
scholarship (excluding students who have been awarded fee exemptions in addition to the JASSO scholarship)
3) Financial Situation of Students
Figure 4 shows the proportions of student financial support situations based on the total aggregated data from
Figure 3. As this figure shows, although financial assistance using tuition exemptions and scholarships is available,
approximately 40% of the students do not benefit from this financial assistance at the time of transfer to the third
year of the undergraduate program at NUT. Although some students receive tuition exemptions or scholarships
from external organizations during their course of study in the undergraduate program, many students have
part-time jobs to support themselves financially.
TP students receive support and advice from other students from their home countries or senior TP students
while studying at NUT, and are therefore thought to become accustomed to campus life at NUT relatively
smoothly.
25
Figure 4 Proportions of financial support situations of TP Students at the time of enrollment in the third year of
undergraduate program at NUT (Enrollment from 2005 to 2011)
4-3 Admission Fees and Tuition Revenue from Twinning Program Students
Figure 5 shows the revenue from admission fees and tuition from TP students. Although one student from
each TP is eligible for fee exemptions, the admission fees and tuition of the other TP students are regarded as
university income. For this reason, some think that this revenue should be allocated to the various departments as
budget for the TPs. However, international students enrolled in special programs such as TPs are not included in
the number of students for the calculation of undergraduate student quota excess ratios. The Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology may alter policies related to undergraduate student quota excess ratios,
and require the inclusion of TP students in the calculations of these ratios in the future. In addition, the numbers of
TP students may continue to change. For these reasons, this issue should be continuously monitored.
Figure 5 Revenue of admission fees and tuition from TP Students
※1 Total amount of revenue from admission fees and tuition for each fiscal year does not include the amount of fee
- 26 -
exemption for one student per TP.
※2 Excludes the amount of tuition fees from expelled student(s) for the term (1st or 2nd term), where the student(s)
was expelled due to failure to pay tuition fees.
※3 Includes the amount of tuition fees paid by retained students (thereby exceeding the standard 2-year course of
study) among all students enrolled until 2009.
4-4 Career Paths of Twinning Program Students upon Completion of the Undergraduate Program
Table 15, shown on the next page, summarizes the career paths of students of each TP after graduating from
the undergraduate program. Of the 51 TP students who had completed the undergraduate program from FY 2007
to FY 2011, 30 progressed to graduate school. Until March 2012, all TPs except for Zhengzhou TP and Nuevo
Leon TP produced students who graduated from the undergraduate program. Among the 51 graduates, 30 students
went on to graduate school and 7 students were employed by companies in Japan. Therefore, 37 students
proceeded to become "engineers with an understanding of Japanese language and monozukuri culture", which is
the objective of this TP. The 7 students who found employment with firms in Japan after completing the
undergraduate program were from the 1st and 2nd cohorts of the Hanoi TP.
Of the 21 students who completed the undergraduate program in March 2012, 16 progressed to graduate
school at NUT. In principle, those who are accepted to graduate school participate in the internship
(Jitsumu-kunren) program during the 4th year of the undergraduate program.
Table 15 Career paths of TP students after graduation from the undergraduate program at NUT between FY 2007
and FY 2011
(as of March 31, 2012)
Program Number of students
proceeding to graduate
school ※1
Number of students
employed by a company
in Japan
Others ※2
Hanoi TP 7/18 7/18 4/18
Ho Chi Minh TP 13/19 0/19 6/19
Danang TP 3/3 0/3 0/3
Nuevo Leon TP※3 0 0 0
Monterrey TP 2/2 0/2 0/2
Zhengzhou TP※4 ― ― ―
Malaysia TP 5/9 0/9 4/9
Total 30/51 7/51 14/51
※1 Includes students expected to proceed to graduate school as of March 31, 2012
※2 Refers to students who have returned to their home country, found employment in their home country, or proceeded
to graduate school in their home country or other countries.
※3 One student in Nuevo Leon TP was retained for one school year.
※4 The students in Zhengzhou TP are not included because their expected graduation is in August 2012.
- 27 -
4-5 Career Paths of Hanoi Twinning Program Students
A survey was conducted regarding the career paths of Hanoi TP students, including those who had completed
the master’s program. The Hanoi TP was selected for this survey due to it being the longest-running TP, as well as
for producing many students who completed the master’s program. Since the Hanoi TP accepted its first cohort of
students in 2005, a total of 18 students have graduated from the undergraduate program at NUT. Table 16, shown
on the next page, summarizes the statuses of Hanoi TP students who went on to the master’s program, the number
of students who completed the program, and their employment statuses. Among the Hanoi TP students who
proceeded to the master’s program, many students have published papers in academic journals or presented their
work at international conferences, and 6 master’s program graduates have found employment with companies in
Japan. This is considered to be a result of producing "engineers with an understanding of Japanese language and
monozukuri culture", which is the objective of NUT’s TPs.
Table 17, on the next page, shows the career paths of students who had graduated from the various
consortium universities between 2006 and 2010. Of the students who went to a Hanoi TP consortium university, 6
students found employment with Japanese-affiliated companies after graduating from the undergraduate program,
and 4 students who had graduated from the master’s program found employment with Japanese-affiliated
companies. One student who enrolled in Gunma University went on to the doctoral program.
Figure 6 (on the next page) shows the career paths of 56 Hanoi TP students from the 1st to the 4th cohorts
(students who had completed the first half of education of the Hanoi TP but were unable to transfer to a Japanese
university, and who subsequently graduated from HUST), as investigated by the SIE of HUST. The Japanese
language education provided in the first half of the TP is highly thought of by local Japanese-affiliated companies.
According to a representative of HUST, the students view their participation in the TP as advantageous for work
opportunities. For this reason, a certificate of completion of the first half of education of the TP is issued to
students who have continued to the second half of education at HUST upon graduation.
Table 16 Academic achievements and employment by companies in Japan of TP students who had enrolled
between FY 2005 and FY 2009 and had completed the master’s program (Hanoi TP)
Year of
enrollment
Number of
students
proceeding to
the master’s
program
Number of
students who
completed the
master’s
program
Number of
students
employed by a
company in Japan
Published
papers ※1
Presentations
※1
Awards ※1
2005 1 1/1 1/1 0 0 0
2006 2 2/2 2/2 1 2 0
2007 3 3/3 3/3 1 1 0
2008 0 ― ― ― ― ―
2009 1 0/1 ― ― ― ―
※The denominator is the number of students in the master’s program each year.
※1 Indicates the numbers of published papers, presentations, and awards during enrollment in NUT.
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Table 17 Career Paths of TP students after graduation by each consortium university from FY 2005 to FY 2010
University Number of students
employed by a
Japanese-affiliated
company
(Undergraduate)※1
Number of
students
proceeding to
the master’s
program
Number of
students who
completed the
master’s
program
Number of
students
employed by a
Japanese-affiliated
company(Master’s)
※2
Number of
students
proceeding to
the doctoral
program
Nagoya Institute
of Technology
2/8 2/8 ― ― ―
Gunma
University
3/8 4/8 3/4 2/4 1/4
Toyohashi
University of
Technology
0/0 0/0 ― ― ―
Utsunomiya
University
1/2 0/2 ― ― ―
Gifu University 0/4 4/4 4/4 2/4 ―
Nagaoka
University of
Technology
7/18 10/18 7/8 6/8 ―
※1, 2Includes students hired by local Japanese companies in their countries.
※The denominator for the number of students hired by Japanese companies (undergraduate program) and the number
of students who proceeded to the master’s program is the total number of TP students enrolled in the undergraduate
program. The denominator for the number of students hired by Japanese companies (master’s program) and the
number of students who proceeded to the doctoral program is the total number of TP students who had graduated from
the master’s program.
Figure 6 Career Paths of HUST graduates who had completed the first half of education in the TP but did not
study in Japan
(Data obtained from SIE at HUST)
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※1 Major employers (on-site Japanese Companies): CANON VIETNAM, TOTO VIETNAM, NISSAN VIETNAM,
MITSUBISHI VIETNAM, and YAMAHA VIETNAM
※2 Reference: Ratio of student enrollment in the master’s program at HUST is 10–15%.
4-6 Summary of the Second Half of Education
1) Second Half of Education for Twinning Program Students
For the second half of education for TP students, students receive the same education and guidance as other
undergraduate students. With regard to Japanese language education, the students study Japanese language
subjects and subjects related to Japanese Affairs, as do other international students.
Recently, the number of international students at NUT has been increasing rapidly, and housing for
international students has become chronically insufficient. Although the proportion of TP students residing in
student dormitories is increasing yearly (similar to the other international students), not all the TP students who
apply to stay in the student dormitories are successful. Support measures for TP students that include housing
issues should be investigated further. Despite the availability of financial support systems such as tuition fee
exemptions, many TP students live as self-financed students. As TP students from the same country or alma mater
increase, communities of students from the same country are formed naturally, and the effects of this phenomenon
have already started to appear. Generally, this has manifested as a smoother transition to life at NUT with support
and advice from senior students. However, many students also tend to socialize primarily with their countrymen,
leading to a lack of improvement in their Japanese language abilities. This slower progress in Japanese language
ability has influenced the academic performance of some students not only in common subjects, but also in their
specialized subjects.
Although some students struggle to cope with their studies in the second half of education, others are able to
excel academically. One of the TP students was awarded "The Japan Institute of Metals and Materials & The Iron
and Steel Institute of Japan Young Student Award" at the time of graduation.
In the Monterrey TP, Nuevo Leon TP, and Danang TP, academic degrees are given by the home universities
after students graduate from the undergraduate program at NUT. For the other TPs, sufficient frameworks and
systems have yet to be established to notify the home university of each TP student’s progress and credit
recognition status in the second half of education. There is a need for the establishment of such frameworks and
systems to report the progress of students to the home universities in these TPs.
2) Career Paths of Twinning Program Students
With regard to career paths of TP students after graduation from the undergraduate program at NUT,
approximately half of the students proceed to graduate school in NUT. In FY 2011, 20 out of 21 graduates were
scheduled to proceed to graduate school, but 4 students withdrew from the program. Reasons for their withdrawal
included plans to enter other universities or return to their home country to seek employment.
In the Hanoi TP, 7 of the 18 students from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cohorts who enrolled and graduated from the
undergraduate program in NUT found employment with companies in Japan. Furthermore, 7 of the 18 students
from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cohorts who enrolled and graduated from the undergraduate program in NUT proceeded
to the master’s program. Of these, 6 students found employment with companies in Japan. Major places of
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employment of Hanoi TP students include Hokuetsu Industries, Panasonic, Nidec Copal Corporation, Denso
Vietnam, Shindengen Electric Manufacturing, Nakashima Propeller, NEC, and Kobayashi Seimitsu Kogyo.
Although a TP is technically a double degree program with the home university, no graduate has acquired a
degree in their home country (as of March 2012. However, Monterrey TP students who graduated in March 2012
also acquired a degree in his home country after graduating from NUT).
5. Actual Circumstances and Effects/Influences of the Twinning Programs
5-1 Securing High-Caliber Students Despite some variations among the individual students and TPs, NUT has, to some extent, been able to
secure TP students of a high caliber. Among all the 51 TP students who have completed the undergraduate
program at NUT to date, 30 students have gone on to the master’s program at NUT. Furthermore, of the 7 Hanoi
TP students who advanced to the master’s program, 6 found employment with companies in Japan. From these
achievements, it may be said that the objective of the TPs to nurture "engineers with an understanding of Japanese
language and monozukuri culture" has been attained.
The Center for International Exchange and Education conducted a questionnaire survey between April
13 (Friday) and April 20 (Friday), 2012 among the academic supervisors of TP graduates (2005–2011). For the
Zhengzhou TP, which currently does not have any graduates, the survey was conducted for the academic
supervisors for students in their 4th year. The questionnaire consisted of the following two questions: Question 1:
Do you think the TP is effective in securing excellent students? Question 2: Do you think the TP is effective for
developing engineers who understand Japanese language, Japanese culture, and monozukuri culture?
The following descriptions are indicative excerpts from replies to Question 1. Results of Question 2 are
presented in Section 5-2.
Q1: Do you think the TP is effective in securing excellent students?
“Yes”: 4 respondents
• There are many students who are highly motivated to study engineering in Japan and who wish to advance to the
doctoral program.
• The students rank quite highly in academic performance. Even with problems in Japanese language, I think that
they are excellent and diligent.
• I feel that for specialized subjects (particularly those where mathematics is concerned), they are superior to the
average students of NUT.
• It is highly possible to secure students who wish to work in Japan, or who desire to aid in the development of
their home country after assimilating the high standard of science and technology in Japan.
“No”: 2 respondents
• I hope that the partner institutions would make further efforts to send excellent students to NUT.
• There is a large degree of variation among the students.
“Unsure”: 15 respondents
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• Although some degree of evaluation may be made from the way they approach research in the master’s program,
no clear evaluations can be made now.
• It appears that there may be a divergence in the understanding of the purpose of the TP between the home
university and NUT.
• Although Japanese language ability is insufficient, there is generally no major difference in the basic academic
ability in specialized subjects between TP students and Japanese students.
• Although this does not apply to all students, students with poor academic performance have few opportunities
for conversations with the Japanese students around them.
• There are students with outstanding academic results but lack seriousness, students with ordinary academic
results but are serious about research, and students who cause various problems. I suppose it depends on each
individual’s abilities and character.
5-2 Development of Engineers Proficient in Japanese Language
In this program, Japanese language education starts from the first half of education, and the second half of
education involves the students studying in Japanese universities. The motto of this university is the development
of internationally acknowledged leading engineers and researchers possessing practical and creative capabilities,
and the "development of engineers who are proficient in Japanese language" in the TPs is an achievement of
NUT’s TPs.
Results of Question 2 of the questionnaire are as follows:
Q2: Do you think the TP is effective for developing engineers who understand Japanese language, Japanese
culture, and monozukuri culture?
“Yes”: 13 respondents
• If a student understands lectures in Japanese to some extent and has experience in practical internship, they
would have an impression of Japanese monozukuri.
• All TP students in the laboratory wish to find a job with a Japanese company. I think the education of such
students is effective as an engineer development program, and it should be actively publicized to the companies.
• I think students have high aspirations to actively learn about Japanese culture and monozukuri, and that it is
possible to develop global engineers.
• I think that the practical educational guidance in Japan is much more effective than an education only given in
the students’ home countries. However, depending on the capabilities of the participating students, there may be
cases where the educational effectiveness does not live up to expectations.
“No”: 1 respondent
• Two years of education at NUT is too short to allow students to understand Japanese language, Japanese culture
and monozukuri. I think at least four years are necessary. I think that taking care of the students up to the graduate
school level may result in a higher quality education.
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“Unsure”: 7 respondents
• This is effective as an opportunity for the students to come to Japan. However, they tend to form groups with
other students from their home country and do not take steps toward understanding Japan.
• This is an effective program for international students who wish to work in Japan and work for
Japanese-affiliated companies. The fact that it is possible to produce many engineers who understand Japan in
various countries is advantageous in the long run. Although I do not know how much Japanese language ability
would be required at an actual worksite, I think that their Japanese language ability is insufficient for them to be
dealt with the same way as native Japanese.
• This is heavily dependent on each individual’s education; and is not limited to the issue of TP alone.
• If the goal is for only TPs operated independently by NUT, then the program would only be effective after the
students complete the master’s program.
5-3 Effects of Faculty Development through Intensive Courses The "Reconstruction of Fundamental Engineering Education based on Universal Design (UD)" project is a
university education quality promotion program adopted in FY 2008. As part of this project, preliminary training
of Japanese language teaching staff and specialized subject teaching staff for intensive courses for the TPs was
initiated at the "FD Training Hall" (preliminary training). The objective of this training is to ensure effective
intensive course sessions by preventing mismatches between the Japanese language ability of TP students and the
content of the lectures. This is done by accurately highlighting the following items to the teaching staff before
they are dispatched overseas: items that should be approached with caution, items that should be refined, and
items that should be prepared in advance.
In addition to the teaching staff to be sent overseas, the FD Training Hall also includes other staff such as
Japanese language teaching staff and teaching staff with experience in conducting intensive courses. As far as
possible, international students also participate in the training. After the mock lessons, all participants share their
opinions. In addition, after the intensive courses are conducted, teaching staff record their comments on a
questionnaire sheet and submit them to the person-in-charge of this project. Additionally, participants in the FD
Training Hall exchange their opinions again in a follow-up session.
Table 18, on page 34, shows the achievements of the FD Training Hall sessions conducted between FY 2008
and FY 2011.
1) Questionnaire Survey of the Intensive Courses
In order to improve the intensive courses, a questionnaire survey is immediately administered after each
course is conducted. These surveys are administered to on-site Japanese language teaching staff and the teaching
staff who conducted the intensive course. A survey is also administered to the student attendees. The survey
includes queries regarding how future intensive courses should be conducted and methods to effectively conduct
the intensive courses. The survey for the students consists of the following 11 questions:
Q1. Was this lecture useful to you?
Q2. Were you interested in the content of this lecture?
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Q3. How do you feel about the amount of content of the lecture?
Q4. How do you feel about the talking speed of the teachers?
Q5. How do you feel about the Japanese language spoken by the teachers?
Q6. Did you find the PowerPoint presentation easy to understand?
Q7. Did you find the writing on the whiteboard easy to understand?
Q8. Was there anything that assisted your understanding during the lesson?
Q9. Did you find that the lectures were generally easy to understand?
Q10. What subjects would you like to be included in future intensive courses?
Q11. Please write your impressions and opinions about the lectures.
Questionnaire results are collated and provided in feedback to each teaching staff member.
2) Records of Intensive Courses by Teaching Staff
The records of the intensive courses are described below. Many of these records presented by teaching staff
cite the importance of the FD Training Hall sessions. Because the "Reconstruction of Fundamental Engineering
Education based on UD" project was completed in FY 2010, the FD Training Hall became a joint operation
between the Center for Faculty Development and the Center for International Exchange and Education. However,
a system for FD Training Hall operations has yet to be established, and teaching staff with the relevant knowledge
and experience conduct the training sessions when requested. The following are excerpts from these intensive
course records.
Impressions of the Preliminary Training (Excerpts from Intensive Course Lecture Records by Teaching
Staff)
• We received comments regarding the lecture materials, content, and talking speed that allowed us to
accommodate the level of Japanese language learning hours for the students in the intensive course class.
Therefore, we were able to improve the level of understanding of the student participants.
• The preliminary training was highly effective, and there were no major difficulties at the introduction stage.
• Meetings were held before preliminary training where we were advised on points of caution and about the
opening sections of the lectures. This was highly meaningful.
Collaboration with Japanese Language Education (Excerpts from Intensive Course Lecture Records by
Teaching Staff)
• Lists of technical terms that appear in the lectures and the outline of the lecture materials were prepared and
provided to students to study beforehand. The subsequent reviews of the intensive courses were also effective.
• Pronunciations and meanings of technical terms used in the intensive courses are tested.
• It would be better for students to be given a chance to explain in Japanese the technical terms used in the
intensive courses during their Japanese language classes.
- 34 -
Table 18 The number of NUT teaching staff members who participated in the “FD Training Hall” (Preliminary
Training) Program FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011
Hanoi TP 0 0 0 0
Ho Chi Minh TP 0 4 3 2
Danang TP 2 1 2 0
Nuevo Leon TP 0 0 1 0
Monterrey TP 1 0 2 0
Zhengzhou TP 0 0 1 0
5-4 Interns Dispatched as On-site Teaching Assistants for Twinning Programs
In the Hanoi TP, Danang TP, Monterrey TP, Zhengzhou TP, and Malaysia TP, Japanese students at NUT are
dispatched to the partner universities for overseas practical training, where they fulfill TA roles in the first half of
education of the TPs. Specifically, they are involved in Japanese language education for engineering and conduct
lectures on the fundamentals of specialized subjects, which the on-site Japanese language teaching staff are unable
to teach adequately. There have been numerous requests for the implementation of this TA system by local
universities and on-site Japanese language teaching staff.
Overseas practical training interns work as TAs of Japanese language education for engineering in NUT’s
TPs (excluding the Zhengzhou TP). These TAs perform their duties after Japanese language teaching staff at NUT
provide preliminary training, while making adjustments with on-site Japanese language teachers. The intern TAs
also prepare portfolios (including preparations for lectures, content of lectures, supplementary teaching materials,
and homework) for their lectures and obtain feedback from both the on-site teaching staff and NUT’s Japanese
language teaching staff.
The TAs use a textbook known as the “Japanese language practice book for overseas students who are
beginning to study engineering”, which was developed as part of the "Reconstruction of Fundamental Engineering
Education based on UD" project. Using the expertise of the TAs, the TP students learn Japanese language and
mathematics for engineering courses. Time for free discussions using Japanese language is also provided and
designed to create good mutual interactions between the TAs and the TP students. In addition, Japanese students
dispatched to the home universities engage in preparatory measures for transfer entrance examinations (such as
mathematics and physics) and project work related to their fields of specialization (such as the building of plastic
bottle rockets, Stirling engines, and motors).
For the Zhengzhou TP, three Japanese overseas practical training interns support the local (native Chinese)
Japanese language teaching staff as TAs for classes in Japanese language, mathematics, and science at the junior
high school level.
The TA system represents an ideal opportunity for TP students to interact with Japanese students of the same
generation. This communication between the TP students and the dispatched Japanese interns allows the TP
students to stay motivated to study in Japan, and is therefore considered advantageous. A common room for the
exclusive use of the TP is provided at the Danang University of Technology. This common room is used
effectively, as the continuous presence of the Japanese interns creates a sense of community with the TP students.
The interpersonal relationships formed here continue even after transfer admission (overseas internship). In many
- 35 -
cases, many of the interns who proceed to the master’s program act as study supporters or tutors of TP students.
As described above, the presence of Japanese TAs has achieved excellent results in the implementation of
TPs, and is a distinctive feature of NUT’s TPs.
However, when viewed from the perspective of education for the TA students, some have pointed out that the
TA activities do not meet the practical internship’s purpose of generating opportunities for direct exposure to
industrial activities. At present, we are conducting a separate investigation into this issue.
5-5 Improving the Presence of NUT
The Hanoi TP is the first TP established jointly between a Japanese national university and a Vietnamese
university, and is the first TP officially approved by the Vietnamese government. The Zhengzhou TP is the first
collaborative education program with a Japanese university at the undergraduate level in China. At the Second
Japan-Vietnam University Presidents’ Conference (held on March 12, 2012 at Kyoto University), the
Administrative Vice Minister of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology made
special mention of the TP at NUT, highlighting the increasing presence of NUT as a pioneer and leader in
international collaborative education. At the First Japan-Mexico Rectors’ Summit (held on June 29, 2011 at the
University of Tokyo), Mr. Miguel Ruiz-Cabanas—the Mexican Ambassador to Japan at that time—described the
activities of NUT in Mexico as a "practical strategy linked with economic reality"; this exemplifies the high
evaluation of NUT’s strategies both at home and abroad. These are examples of the recognition of the importance
and presence of NUT’s TPs by the partner countries. In addition, the "Reconstruction of Fundamental Engineering
Education based on UD" project set in the TPs was adopted in the university education quality promotion program
in FY 2008 (148 items adopted). Among these items, this was further selected as 1 of 6 programs that are regarded
as notably excellent, and are expected to have wide-reaching influence.
The Second Japan-Vietnam University The First Japan-Mexico Rectors’ Summit
Presidents’ Conference (at Kyoto University) (at the University of Tokyo)
- 36 -
Dictionary for Engineering Terms Intermediate Japanese for Mechanical Engineering
(Universal Design) (Universal Design)
Center for International Exchange and Education Nagaoka University of Technology
1603-1 Kamitomioka Nagaoka Niigata, 940-2188 Japan