TUSUR and Ritsumeikan University start Dual University Master Degree Program
On April 18–22 TUSUR received the delegation of Ritsumeikan University, Japan. The delegation included Kozaburo Hachimura, Dean of the College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University; Fumio Hattori, Vice-Dean for Graduate School Affairs, College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University; Naoki Mitsuno, Director of the Research Planning and Management Division, Ritsumeikan University; Miki Horie, Director of the International Affairs Division, Ritsumeikan University, and Victor Kryssanov, Professor of the College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University.
During the five-day visit of the delegation, TUSUR, represented by the Institute for Innovations, and Ritsumeikan University (RU) have signed an agreement establishing a Dual University Master Degree Program (DUMDP).
Under the agreement, the disciplines taught at TUSUR and RU will be mutually recognized by both universities, and students will travel to the partner university to study half of their academic program abroad. Innovation, innovation management and business studies will be taught at TUSUR, while engineering disciplines will be taught at RU. Upon completion of the program, students will be awarded two diplomas. The first TUSUR students (graduate students of the Institute for Innovations) will start their dual master degree program in September 2013.
To support research projects of DUMDP students and to ensure further development of the scientific potential and academic mobility of students from both universities, the partner universities will establish specialized research and education centers. Both universities will be financing the centers independently, and their students will have access to the joint laboratories and their equipment.
Furthermore, Ritsumeikan University and TUSUR (represented by the Vice-Rector for Innovative Development and International Affairs Alexander Uvarov and the Head of the Division for International Cooperation Gennady Kobzev) have discussed the experience with jointly taught practice oriented courses. From November 2012 till January 2013 students of the TUSUR Institute for Innovations and students of Ritsumeikan University had been developing their joint projects as part of their Global Software Engineering course. The project will lay the foundation for the new educational standard in ICT and will become a competitive advantage for students of both universities. It was therefore decided to increase the number of joint lectures and courses in 2013 and to inform the wide student audience at both universities of the joint courses and the advantages of international project-based learning programs.
The parties have also discussed internship opportunities for their students. The universities have expressed their willingness to receive exchange students and to provide them with material and technical support and other assistance. It is expected that the first TUSUR students will start their internship at Ritsumeikan University in August 2013, and the first Ritsumeikan University students will come to TUSUR in September 2013.
During the visit the parties have held a special meeting dedicated to establishment of the Ritsumeikan University Representative Office at TUSUR. The university representatives were joined by the Head of the Department for International and Regional Cooperation of Tomsk Region Administration Alexey Stukanov, and together they have defined the mission, goals and functions of the new Representative office. Initially it will be providing information support to joint Russian-Japanese projects and supervise them in Tomsk and Tomsk region.
Source: Marketing and Advertising Division, Institute for Innovations
