University of Tokyo and O.P. Jindal Global University discuss new partnerships
Ahmedabad, 10 December 2025: O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) hosted the senior delegation from the University of Tokyo at the India-Japan Higher Education Conclave 2025 in Ahmedabad today. The high-level delegation from University of Tokyo (UTokyo) was led by the Professor (Dr.) Kaori Hayashi, Executive Vice President in charge of Global and Diversity Affairs at the University of Tokyo and Professor (Dr.) Satsuki Shioyama, Project Research Associate at GlobE.
The exclusive visit to Ahmedabad Tour is centred on the theme “Future of Global Education: India and Japan as Leaders of Knowledge and Innovation”. The visit forms a flagship component of JGU’s Act East mandate to deepen strategic, future‑oriented international higher education engagement with Japan and the broader Indo‑Pacific region. JGU is presently the only Indian university in an institutional partnership with the University of Tokyo, underscoring the exclusivity and strategic depth of this collaboration. Building on this relationship, JGU has cultivated over 25+ university‑wide partnerships with leading Japanese institutions, designed to foster two-way academic mobility of students and faculty, catalyse joint research initiatives and strengthen the internationalisation of higher education ecosystems in both countries.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, said: “This India Tour substantially advances JGU’s Act East mandate and places higher education at the heart of the strategic partnership between India and Japan. Our exclusive partnership with the University of Tokyo will open up new platforms for research innovation, circulation of scholars and robust academic linkages that directly support bilateral priorities in education, technology and innovation. It also reflects a shared belief that universities must act as bridges between societies, enabling knowledge collaboration that is both globally oriented and locally responsive.”
The Vice Chancellor also commented on the historical relationship between the two countries based on a shared diplomatic cooperation, spiritual understanding and the importance of the two countries in long term impact in Asia.
In continuation to the existing student exchange partnership, O.P. Jindal Global University has signed another agreement with the University of Tokyo to launch a Short-Term Study Abroad Programme. Under this collaboration, 40 students from JGU will visit the University of Tokyo in summer each year for a three-week academic and cultural immersion. This is expected to further strengthen the ongoing cooperation between India and Japan in the field of international higher education.
The Conclave brings together university leaders, policymakers, scholars and students to discuss the evolving global higher education landscape and the future of India–Japan academic cooperation. The India Tour features high-level policy dialogues, strategic university visits, press engagements and networking forums aimed at shaping a long-term roadmap for joint teaching, research and innovation. City-specific conclaves and interactions with regulatory leadership will showcase India’s higher education strengths and Japan’s internationalisation strategies. Together, these engagements will enable new joint programmes, research collaborations and capacity-building initiatives focused on global education, innovation and cross-border mobility.
The participation of UTokyo’s delegation signals their intention to engage substantively with Indian partners on the future trajectory of global education, diversity and inclusion, and sustainable academic partnerships.
Professor Kaori Hayashi, Executive Vice President in charge of Global and Diversity Affairs at the University of Tokyo, articulated UTokyo’s institutional vision for global engagement, with a particular emphasis on internationalisation, diversity and the reimagining of academic partnerships in a rapidly transforming geopolitical and technological landscape.
She said “I was very happy to India again, especially Ahmedabad and our close partners, O.P. Jindal Global University in Delhi with its exciting additions, including the new Museum of Constitution and the Moot Court. The vision and philosophy of the university, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Raj Kumar, were clearly visible everywhere. In particular, I was impressed to see the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. I see great potential in the future collaborations between UTokyo and JGU as well as other universities in Japan and India, the two critical Asian nations that value liberal democracy.”
The visit has involved substantive conversations on academic pathway design, student mobility and the architecture of joint and dual programmes between Indian and Japanese universities. These interventions explored how carefully designed pathways, from short‑term exchanges to integrated degree programmes, can enable students to navigate multiple academic systems, build intercultural competencies and contribute to collaborative research and innovation.
The delegation observed that they were truly excited to see the educational collaboration taking place between JGU and UTokyo. “We appreciate JGU’s commitment to expanding students’ global outlook by sending them to Japan and we look forward to doing the same by offering more opportunities for ours to experience your exciting campus. We are confident that the friendships formed among our students will contribute to an even stronger relationship between the two countries in the future.”
Professor (Dr.) Satsuki Shioyama, Project Research Associate at GlobE, brought comparative education, South Asian perspectives and gender‑sensitive lenses to the discussions, with a focus on mechanisms that make knowledge exchange more inclusive, reciprocal and sustainable.
Over the course of the India Tour, JGU and UTokyo leadership explored new and enhanced frameworks for academic cooperation. Key areas of engagement included: two‑way student and faculty mobility across disciplines and levels of study; the development of joint and dual degree programmes as well as shorter‑term mobility schemes; the design of collaborative and comparative research projects that leverage complementary strengths in both systems; and the creation of innovative cross‑institutional formats for teaching, learning and knowledge co‑creation, including co‑taught courses, joint seminars and hybrid learning initiatives.
Professor (Dr.) Akhil Bhardwaj, (Vice Dean, Office of International Affairs & Global Initiatives), JGU, added: “This India Tour with UTokyo will lay strong foundations for long‑term collaboration in faculty exchange, student mobility programmes and co‑created initiatives that connect universities, industry and government stakeholders. By anchoring these efforts in a spirit of mutual respect and co‑design, we aim to create pathways that benefit learners and researchers in both countries.”
This visit is expected to culminate in a forward‑looking roadmap for deepening JGU–UTokyo cooperation and advancing a shared vision of resilient, future‑ready India–Japan higher‑education linkages that contribute meaningfully to global knowledge and innovation ecosystems.
