UURR Project Overview

The UURR Project (which involves promoting inter-regional exchange) began with the 2003 Sino-Japan Small and Medium Enterprise Technology Product Exchange Council in the academic year of 2003 (held in Hangzhou City, with Tsinghua University in China as our partner). It then developed with an academic exchange agreement with Dalian University of Technology in the academic year of 2005, and the establishment of the Dalian University of Technology and Iwate University International Cooperation and Technology Transfer Center (the "Center") within Dalian University of Technology in the academic year of 2006. The Center has been successful in business exchanges, etc., with the primary aim of transferring technology from research outcomes from Dalian University of Technology (in Dalian city in China) and Iwate University; it has accomplished this through transferring technology in the field of metal casting, carrying out joint international research in the field of IT, researcher and student exchanges, and support from the Japan External Trade Association (JETRO). However, with changing social conditions, the way our universities collaborate from now on cannot simply be limited to technology transfer. We are coming to a stage where we are developing new type of international cooperation, such as carrying out innovative joint international research, and using the results to promote industry and revitalize communities in both regions as well as to foster international human resources in industrial science and technology who can contribute to this.

Thus, the Center was reorganized as the Iwate University and Dalian University of Technology Science and Technology Cooperation Center in the academic year of 2012, and we made it our aim to continue to expand the UURR Project in the vicinity of Dalian, based on strengthening the human network and mutual understanding between our universities that has been created through past exchanges, and the achievements from past exchanges between Iwate University, related local governments, and Dalian. The Asian International Education and Research Consortium on Die and Mold Technology was launched in the academic year of 2013, strengthening die and mold education and research exchange in Asia, including in member universities. In the academic year of 2014, we held research meetings and lectures in the field of medical biotechnology and biomaterials, coordinated by the Faculty of Science and Engineering Research Enhancement and Special Globalization Measures Office ("Kenguro"), which expanded our exchanges into new fields.

Furthermore, the International Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Symposium which had been held each by Dalian University of Technology, Iwate University, and Hanbat National University in the Republic of Korea since 2008, was joined by Universiti Malaysia Pahang in the academic year of 2013. The Asia Joint Symposium organized by these four universities, was held at Dalian University of Technology in the academic of year 2013, Hanbat National University in 2014, Universiti Malaysia Pahang in 2015, and Iwate University in academic the year of 2016. This has strengthened research and education exchanges as well as industry, academia and government collaboration.

UURR Project activities had been focused on exchanges with Dalian University of Technology. In order to expand these into other fields and regions, the Conference on Preservation, Management, and Education relating to World Cultural Heritage was held on the field of Hiraizumi world heritage education in academic year 2014. People linked to Iwate University, the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education, Qufu Normal University, the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and the Confucius Research Institute in Qufu city gave reports on the status quo of world heritage preservation, management, and education, and increased awareness of future issues. In the academic year of 2016, five subgroups were established during the Asia Joint Symposium held at Iwate University: Industrial Collaboration and Human Resource Training, Die Molding and Casting, World Heritage, Environmental Engineering, and Agriculture, making it an international symposium with diverse fields.