Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/56789

JaLCDOI : 10.14943/J.HighEdu.18.3

Since 1962, Hokkaido University (HU) has been a member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), the UNESCO-based worldwide association whose aim is to strengthen higher education. In 2009, HU was the fi rst member to invite the IAU to collaborate in the review of HU’s internationalization strategy and processes. The aim of the collaboration was to fi nd means to accelerate HU’s future internationalization, in concurrence with the university’s medium term goals as delineated for the years 2010-2016. The IAU selected fi ve internationalization experts to form a panel to support HU’s internal review by providing direction and feedback. The panel conducted an onsite meeting at HU in January 2010, and in March submitted a fi nal report to the president that included their fi ndings as well as recommendations for change, ways of moving forward, and further action. The underlying message of the fi nal report can be summed up in the following two points: * HU should conduct ‘supportive intervention’ to understand and assist international efforts carried out by each faculty autonomously; and some functions carried out by the faculties should be centralized and new services developed to accelerate internationalization.