Electronic Precinct - October 1998

Strengthening Links

This autumn will be the first time that a UK region has organised a top level university mission to co-operate on an international project, and the University of Liverpool will be one of a group of North West universities involved. The initiative, the Higher Education, Science and Technology (HEST) Forum, took place in Japan's Kansai region from 22-25 October.

It has been developed to strengthen links between universities in Japan and North West England, and ran in support of the Kansai/North West England Business Forum '98 (OMF'98), which took place in Kansai from 19 to 24 October.

The mission was led by Professor Martin Harris, Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester and Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors. As well as the University of Liverpool, there were also representatives from UMIST, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Salford, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Lancaster, and the Carlisle campus of the University of Northumbria.

HEST was organised by the Greater Manchester Centre for Japanese Studies, which initiated the successful Osaka Manchester Forum in 1997 that has led to the Kansai/North West England Business Forum '98. It is envisaged that HEST will be a role model for other regions, as a vehicle for regional globa lisation in higher education and research.

Professor Martin Harris, said: 'The forging of ever stronger links between universities in Japan and North West England is crucial to the development of a long term technological, economic and cultural relationship between our region and Kansai'.