Fudan extends cooperation with Japanese university

Fudan University and Waseda University signed an agreement to expand cooperation as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their jointly run international program that offers dual bachelor's degrees from both sides.

The program set up in 2004 was Fudan's first international dual-degree bachelor's program in cooperation with a university outside China. Fudan's former president, Chen Wangdao, and the former dean of Fudan's School of Journalism Xie Liuyi had both studied at Waseda University.

Katsuhiko Shirai, then president of Waseda University, said the cooperation was a bold attempt for Japan as there were no double-degree programs there, not to mention it was a joint project with a university in another country.

The program has been popular over the past two decades, providing precious experiences for students from both sides, said Kate Elwood, Waseda's dean of Waseda University's international affairs division.

Though operated by the journalism school, students have a wide range of options for courses, including communication, politics, culture, social science and history.

In the past two decades, it has cultivated 167 graduates with global vision and cross-cultural communication capabilities. They are now working in well-known media companies, such as Xinhua News Agency, NHK and Asahi Shimbun, and government departments and organizations, as well as some of the Fortune Top 500 companies, contributing to cultural exchanges between China and Japan, and global communication and understanding.

Looking into the future, Fudan and Waswda both vowed to work together to better serve students with enriched curricula to cater to the changes in technologies and world situations.