Call for 2nd Cycle of Program A&B 2018-1 (Autumn 2018)

Dear UMAP colleagues in National Secretariat and member universities,

We are pleased to announce that we are now collecting additional program information for the second cycle of Programs A&B 2018-1 (Autumn 2018).

The following link is the program information form for you to fill out. Once you have filled it out, please return it to us in Excel format.

【Click to Download】Outline_Proposal_for_Program_A&B

The programs of those universities, who participated in the first cycle and whose two seats aren’t filled up, will be continued to be effective for the second cycle. Therefore you do not have to send the form once again.

Please note;
(1) Universities that have signed the “Pledge of Agreement” are able to participate in the program.
(2) Universities that have sent their Programs in the form of “Outline of Proposal” are able to send their students to other participating universities.

The deadline for submitting program information is February 4th, 2018 and the start of student application through Home university coordinator will be February 12th 2018. For the detail of the schedule of the 2nd cycle, please refer to the attached.

We are looking forward to receiving additional participation.

Season’s Greetings from UMAP!

Season’s Greetings from UMAP!

A very fruitful 2017 has almost come to an end. Let us take a moment to look back on what UMAP has achieved this year:

• Program A&B saw a 4% increase in the number of participating universities (78 universities) and a 36% increase in the number of exchange students (68 students) over 2016
• There was a 54% increase in the number of exchange students (63 students) in Program C.
• UMAP Summer Program welcomed 22 international students to Toyo University and Niigata University, where they explored “Doors to Japan – History and Presence of Japanese Culture, Society and the Environment”
• UMAP Research Net received the final reports from Dr. Fauzan Khairi Che Harun (Deputy Director, Global Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia) and Dr. Jane Jackson (Department of English, the Chinese University of Hong Kong)
• UMAP International Secretariat successfully held its 2nd Board Meeting, International Forum and workshops on student mobility, attracting more than 180 participants.

These achievements would not have been possible without the active participation and generous support from UMAP National Secretariats, member universities and students all over the world. We are proud of all you have done and grateful for your contributions. We look forward to continued success with you in the coming year.

UMAP wishes you a joyful holiday season and prosperous New Year!
(Kindly note that UMAP International Secretariat will be closed from December 26 through January 4 for the New Year holidays.)

Student Application for UMAP Program A&B 2018-1 has started

Dear Students who plan to apply for UMAP Program A&B 2018-1 (for Autumn Semester 2018)

We are pleased to announce the start of student applications for Programs A&B 2018-1 (Autumn 2018). If you are interested in participating in one of these programs, please review the information on the website (http://umap.org/programs/a_b/ ) about the programs’ contents, length, available credits, language requirement and fees before applying.

The common application form for Programs A&B is available on the UMAP website (http://umap.org/forstudents/#application-procedure). The application deadline for UMAP Coordinators at your home university is 19 December 2017 for the first cycle*, and 5 March 2018 for the second cycle* respectively; therefore, you need to submit your application according to the adapted schedule of your home institution.

*(Note): UMAP offers two cycles of applications for Program A&B of each semester. The second cycle is for additional programs offered by both the member universities and universities that still have spots available after the initial application cycle. UMAP-IS will continue to upload the programs of those universities.

 For the acceptance of students’ applications, the following two steps must be completed:

APPLICATION — Students should complete the application form for their desired program in WORD format and submit it to the UMAP Coordinator at their home university/institution. Once the UMAP Coordinators receive the UMAP Application Form from their students, they will select which students to nominate to the UMAP International Secretariat (UMAP-IS) and send all selected application forms to the UMAP-IS by email at umap-is@umap.org

REGISTRATION — Coordinators need to register the information of each applicant at the designated page on the website (http://umap.org/members/ )

Please note;
1.  Only those students whose universities have sent the “Outline of Proposal” to participate in this program are eligible to apply to other participating universities. Please confirm the list of participating universities by checking the website (http://umap.org/programs/a_b/)

2.  A maximum of two (2) students can be nominated by each university per semester; regardless, it may be possible to nominate additional students on a fee-paying basis depending on the policies of the host institutions. 

We look forward to receiving many applications.

Call for Program A&B 2018-1 (Autumn 2018)

We are now collecting program information from member universities. The deadline of submitting “Outline Proposal” is 16 October 2017. The form of “Outline Proposal” is located at (http://umap.org/members/).

Please note;
(1) Universities in Full Member country/territory, that have signed the “Pledge of Agreement” are able to participate in the program.

 (2) Those universities that offer their programs by sending back “Outline of Proposal” are able to send their students to other participating universities.

Participation in the 6th APEC Conference in Vladivostok, Russia

On September 6th, 2017, Dr. Takashi Sekiyama, Executive Director of UMAP IS, was invited as a guest speaker to the 6th APEC Conference on Cooperation in Higher Education which was held in Vladivostok, Russia. During the plenary session, there was a discussion of new challenges and opportunities for higher education in the Asia-Pacific. In his address, Dr. Sekiyama spoke about how UMAP’s programs, goals, and scholarships have helped to promote cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region. The conference was an excellent opportunity to strongly appeal for further exchange participation from non-UMAP member countries.

For more information: https://forumvostok.ru/en/session-eef-2017/?session_id=3243

(Video presented about UMAP starts from the time “01.14.23”, which lasts about 15 minutes )

Please refer to the file below for Dr.Sekiyama’s presentation:

Updated Amendments

Dear UMAP Members,

Greetings from UMAP International Secretariat! 

We are pleased to inform you that the revised Pledge of Agreement and UMAP Constitution have been updated. Please refer to the two documents for the amendments approved in the UMAP 2nd Board Meeting held on August 17th, 2017.

The new UMAP Organizational Chart can be found in the About UMAP page.

UMAP Summer Program 2017 in Japan

Toyo University and Niigata University co-hosted the UMAP Summer Program 2017 in Japan. Students stayed in Tokyo from August 14th to 19th while the remaining half of the program is being in Niigata from August 20th to 26th. Through the 2017 Summer Program, students were able to learn about both the Japanese traditional and modern cultures in comparison to their own through various engaging activities.

Toyo University Page: http://www.toyo.ac.jp/site/tgd/umapsummerprogram.html

Top Global University Page: https://tgu.mext.go.jp/news/2017/08/001528.html 

UMAP International Forum 2017 Held at Toyo University

The UMAP International Forum 2017 was held at Toyo University on August 18th and 19^th, 2017

On August 18 and 19, 2017 UMAP International Secretariat, in collaboration with Japan Association for International Student Education (JAISE) held the UMAP International Forum 2017 at Toyo University (Tokyo, Japan). More than 150 professors, scholars, government officials, and other delegates from throughout the Asia-Pacific region attended the Forum. Exploring “Trends and Prospects of Student Mobility and Support in the Asia-Pacific Region,” the Forum was a tremendous success.

Plenary of the International Forum

In their keynote addresses, Prof. Christopher Ziguras (the International Education Association of Australia; RMIT University), Dr. Christine Farrugia (Institute of International Education (IIE)) and Ms. Jacquelyn Hoult (Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)) shared their experiences and perspectives on student mobility.

From left to right: Professor Christopher Ziguras, President, the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), on “Quantitative Development and Quality Enhancement in Mobility in Asia and the Pacific”; Dr. Christine Farrugia, Deputy Head of Research, Institute of International Education (IIE) on “Analyzing Big Data in Student Mobility”; Ms. Jacquelyn Hoult, Director, Communications, Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) on “Learning Beyond Borders: National Agenda for Inspiring Mobility”

Following the keynote speeches was a panel discussion on “Future Development of UMAP”. In an open and amicable atmosphere, the esteemed panel shared innovative ideas initiated and had a fruitful discussion.

Panel discussion

Secretary General, UMAP International Secretariat and Toyo University President Makio Takemura delivers the closing remarks of the International Forum

1. Follow-up Workshops (August 19)

In the morning of August 19, the UMAP International Forum continued with workshops on “Why UMAP?”, “Meet UMAP Members” and “Good Practice of Education and Employability with Career Design”.

Workshop Room 1 discussing “Why UMAP?” and “Meet UMAP members”

Highlighting ideas made in the International Forum, positioning UMAP in the region, and mapping out UMAP journey of development, the workshops engaged 25 delegates in defining UMAP’s current problems, showcasing UMAP’s strengths, and proposing initiatives for growth.

Workshop Room 2 discussing “Good Practice of Education and Employability with Career Design”

The workshops not only examined different angles of student mobility, but also facilitated the exchange of insightful views for helping youth prepare for their future careers.

2. Excursion to Edo Museum

During the afternoon of August 19, the International Forum concluded with a trip to Tokyo’s Edo Museum.

UMAP would like to sincerely thank everyone who joined us for the UMAP International Forum. Because of your attendance and active participation, the UMAP International Forum 2017 was a huge success.

Presentation slides are available in the link below:

http://umap.org/archives/umap-2017-international-forum-and-workshop-contents/

For additional pictures of the event, please refer to our UMAP Facebook Page in the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/University-Mobility-in-Asia-and-the-Pacific-UMAP-191706187554264/

Student Application for UMAP Program A&B 2017-2 has been extended

Dear Coordinators of Program A&B participating universities,

We have decided to extend the deadline for submission of student applications for the 1st Cycle of Program A&B 2017-2 (Spring 2017). Revised timeline for the 1st Cycle is as follows:

Revised Application Deadline: July 30th
Nomination from UMAP: July 31st- Aug. 4th
Notice from Host universities: Aug. 30th

Please note:
1. Only those universities that have sent the “Outline of Proposal” for participation in this program are able to send their students to the other participating universities.
2. A maximum of two (2) students can be nominated from each university per semester, but it may be possible to nominate additional students on a fee paying basis depending on the policies of the host institutions.

We look forward to receiving more applications.