Sophia Magazine vol.1 / SUMMER 2015

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4Sophia University’s Network of Learning On October 23, 2014, Sophia University entered into a com-prehensive educational cooperation agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ofce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These are the rst agreements of their kind that UNDP and UNHCR have concluded with a Japanese university. Under these agreements, the UN agencies agree to send lectur-ers to classes and symposiums held at Sophia, assign researchers and their staff members to the University’s research projects, pro-vide information on internship programs in which Sophia students can participate, and host events such as educational campaigns and seminars. In the past, Sophia was Asia’s rst institution of higher educa-tion to enter into an educational cooperation agreement with the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Through these recent agree-ments, Sophia hopes that its network of learning with international organizations will further expand and that educational programs for students who aim to develop their career in the area of interna-tional cooperation will become richer in content and opportunity.Sophia University Enters into an Educational Cooperation Agreement with Two UN Agencies- October 23, 2014 On November 26, 2014, Sophia University concluded an in-dustry-academia educational cooperation agreement with Volvo Group, a global corporate group based in Sweden. The objec-tive of the agreement is to develop globally competitive human resources and build a new cooperative relationship between the University and a multinational corporation. At the signing ceremony held at the Yotsuya Campus with Mag-nus Robach, the Swedish Ambassador to Japan, in attendance, Takashi Hayashita, President of Sophia University, and Kerstin Renard, Executive Vice President, Corporate Human Resources, Volvo Group, signed the agreement. At present, Volvo Group has educational cooperation programs with ten schools in six countries worldwide, but Sophia is the rst university in Japan to implement such a program. During the three-year program, Sophia and Volvo jointly develop class subjects that allow students to learn best practices at the global corporation’s business sites. These classes are available to all un-dergraduate students, and in addition, internship programs are offered at Volvo Group’s bases in Japan and abroad.Sophia University Signs a Preferred Talent PartnershipAgreement with Volvo Group- November 26, 2014From left: Tetsuo Kondo, Japan Director of UNDP; Sophia President Takashi Hayashita; Michael Linden-bauer, Representative of the UNHCR in Japan.Top: The activities of the Volvo Group were introduced at the symposium.Bottom left: Volvo’s UD truck was exhibited at Sophia.Bottom right: From left: Volvo Representative, Kerstin Renard; the Swed-ish Ambassador, Magnus Robach; President Takashi Hayashita.CAMPUS NEWS