Japan-Canada Academic Consortium (2004 - 2023)
The Japan-Canada Academic Consortium was an outcome of the Canada-Japan University Rectors Roundtable which took place at York University in Toronto in November 2004. In November 2006, Meiji University approached York University with a formal proposal to develop this binational consortium; from then on, the Prince Takamado Japan Centre at the University of Alberta took on the role of Canadian secretariat for the Consortium. Eleven Canadian universities and twelve Japanese universities served as members of the Consortium.
During its time, the Japan-Canada Academic Consortium aimed to promote the exchange of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and teachers, and to encourage a movement of ideas and knowledge between the two countries.
Through the collaboration of the different Universities, the Consortium aimed to benefit the part as well as the whole by disseminating accumulated knowledge in an effective manner. By making it easier to share knowledge and ideas, post-secondary institutions benefited from access to information that was previously limited by physical constraints.
The Consortium consisted of two streams: the JACAC Student Forum, and the JACAC Student Exchange Program
JACAC Student Forum
Senior undergraduate student representatives from member institutions in both Japan and Canada met and exchanged opinions and ideas about a common topic of interest to students at the time. The host institution alternated between Canada and Japan each year.
The goal of this forum was to provide students with the opportunity to interact with their peers from a different culture and to gain insight into their current areas of academic interest while encouraging a flow of ideas between Canada and Japan.
JACAC Student Exchange Program
The Japan-Canada Academic Consortium aimed to promote the exchange of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and teachers, and to encourage a movement of ideas and knowledge between the two countries.
For more information about past Student Forums and Exchange Programs, please check the Japan-Canada Academic Consortium official website, or contact the Prince Takamado Japan Centre.