NITK and VTC Join Hands and Renew MoU to Advance on Collaborations

With years of success in student and staff exchanges between the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Kumamoto College (NITK) and the Vocational Training Council (VTC), the 6th MoU was signed on an online platform on 21 February 2022 by Dr ARAKI Keijiro, President of NITK and Mr Jonathan LEE, Director of IDO, VTC, celebrating the years of friendship built since 2009.  Aiming at advancing the collaboration between NITK and VTC in a more diversified extent, the MoU addresses the promotion of academic and cultural exchange activities and international events, in addition to joint project development works to strengthen the cooperation on internationalisation and vocational education. 

A highlight of the signing ceremony was the presentation delivered by Dr ODAGAWA Hiroyuki, Dean of Academic Affairs, Kumamoto College, on the future enhancement of technical education in KOSEN of Japan, in light of Japan’s initiative of “Society 5.0” to achieve a human-centred society.  Mr Jonathan LEE, Director of IDO, VTC concluded with a sharing of the latest strategic directions of VTC, emphasising multidisciplinary curriculum development, dual professionalism for staff development, smart and green campus development and regional collaboration strategies within the Greater Bay Area in Mainland China. VTC Year 1 Mechanical Engineering student Oscar LEUNG also partnered with NITK student NOMITSU Keita to serve as the Masters of Ceremony of the event. 

By leveraging the promotion of bilateral exchange in the international arena, students and staff will benefit greatly from a wide range of physical and online exchange activities, study abroad and attachment programmes. One example is an institutional Hackathon event themed “Green and Sustainable Development” to be organised by the VTC this year.