During the fifth Sino-Japanese Education Exchange Meeting held from November 25 to 29 on Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture, in Japan, the Awaji Island Declaration was signed by the Excellence 9 (E9) of China and the Japan’s National Union of Six Universities, aiming to deepen and strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan in the field of higher education. 

More than 400 representatives from 116 universities and colleges in China and Japan, including Tianjin University, Dalian University of Technology, Okayama University, and Kobe University, gathered together to have extensive dialogue and in-depth exchanges on strengthening cooperation in the fields of education between the two countries. Attendees also included Chinese ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua, Consul General of the Consulate General of PRC in Osaka, Li Tianran, and Deputy Mayor of Hyogo, Japan, Mr. Kanazawa. 

At the Sino-Japanese Presidents of Colleges and Universities Forum, leaders of the top universities in China and Japan had lively discussions focusing on the topic of "Sino-Japanese Educational Exchange in the New Era of Innovation and Entrepreneurship," and all-round exchanges in terms of universities’ management experience, student training, scientific research and innovation, internationalization and other issues. As a representative of the Forum of Presidents of Chinese and Japanese universities, Zhao Meirong, director of Organizational Department at Tianjin University, delivered a speech. She firstly summarized the topics discussed in the Forum, and then explained the basic conditions of Tianjin University, the development of international cooperation and exchange, as well as the situation of exchanging information with Japanese universities. Finally, she looked forward to taking this conference as an opportunity to further strengthen the in-depth cooperation with Japanese universities, and invited Japanese colleagues to visit TJU for exchange in the future. 

At the final of the International Entrepreneurship Contest for University Students 2018 in Hyogo, Wang Yalin and four other students from Tianjin University, supported by the Office International Cooperation and Exchange, emerged from the fierce competition and won the first place in the second prize group. And they won a special award for TJU, "Hyogo County University Union Chairman Award", for showing the fresh innovative spirit of a new generation of students. In addition, at the Sino-Japanese Education Exchange (Exhibition), the TJU booth attracted Kobe University, National Yokohama University and other Japanese universities to visit and exchange. 

The Excellence 9 delegation also visited the Kobe Medical Industry Institution and Okayama University. During the visit to the Kobe Medical Industry Institution, Zhao Meirong had a cordial conversation with Hua Fangxin, Head of the Investigation Division of the Biomedical Innovation Cluster. She claimed that Tianjin and Kobe are mutually friendly cities, and the Medical College of TJU is in a stage of vigorous development. So, she hoped that there will be more in-depth exchanges and cooperation with the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster in basic research and medical industrialization. 

At the "Double First-class" Initiative Internationalization Promotion Seminar, the participants engaged in discussions in terms of the following topics: the experience of sharing the difficulties and challenges faced in promoting “Double First-Class” internationalization; the regional layout of overseas projects; the need for project customization; as well as, how to advance international services and security. 

The meeting is the highest level and largest event in Sino-Japanese education exchange since the Ministry of Education released the list of “Double First-Class” universities and disciplines. Through participation in this seminar, representatives of TJU and Japan’s National Union of Six Universities as well as other relevant Japanese universities had further exchanges in establishing inter-university cooperative relations, concerning students, teachers, and scientific research, which promoted in-depth cooperation and exchange between TJU and Japan as well as the development of new fields.