As the long-drawn-out COVID-19 pandemic finally began to show signs of easing, NUT’s application for the “Inter-University Exchange Project: Support for Creation of Inter-University Exchanges in the Indo-Pacific Region” in FY2022 was accepted by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Our program, entitled “International Cooperative Educational Program using Dual Internship on Multidimensional Campus”, will establish a multidimensional campus (XC) that effectively combines face-to-face exchanges, remote exchanges, and virtual exchanges, as well as create an environment that enables students from our university and partner universities in India and the UK to interact at any time and location. Through education and research exchanges on advanced technologies, this program aims to develop leading engineers who can perform at the global level by cultivating practical and creative skills, and enhancing their ability to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
　Our partner universities in this endeavor are the University of York in the UK and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in India. The three universities will participate in mutual exchanges in the XC on the common themes of next-generation electric vehicles (in which both partner universities are engaged in research and development) and digital transformation (DX) manufacturing (in which our university excels). Of course, it will also be possible to interact on other topics. Within the XC, students will experience their first interactions as face-to-face exchanges in internships or workshops. For subsequent interactions, students will engage in multiple internships (i.e., dual internships) using face-to-face, remote, or virtual methods.
　I hope that students and staff who are interested in exchanges with India and the UK will actively participate in this program with the aim of improving their own skill set so that they can play active roles in a global society. Although NUT’s international exchanges have been heavily suppressed by the COVID-19 pandemic, thisprogram may help us to revitalize these exchanges to a level higher than ever before. I also look forward to people from relevant companies engaging in this program through internships and collaborative research that support the educational activities of our students.

Vice President (International Relations)

TAKAHASHI Osamu

　The Inter-University Exchange Project was launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in FY2011 to foster the development of human resources capable of playing an active role at the international level, as well as to strengthen the global developmental capabilities of university education. Specifically, this project aims to support the mechanisms for international educational collaborations with universities in designated countries and regions that conduct overseas study programs for Japanese students and undertake the strategic acceptance of international students to Japanese universities while ensuring the quality of higher education.
　NUT’s “International Cooperative Educational Program using Dual Internship on Multidimensional Campus”—conducted in collaboration with the University of York and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras—was selected for the FY2022 Inter-University Exchange Project under the “Support for Creation of Inter-University Exchanges in the Indo-Pacific Region” initiative.
　This represents the third time, following FY2014 and FY2015, that our application has been accepted for this project.