SHANGHAI-Tongji University, one of China's most prestigious national colleges, will open a branch in Osaka, mainly for students hoping to eventually do business in the rising economic power, officials said.
It will be the first Chinese university to open a branch in Japan.
Tongji, which has about 54,000 students, will send professors to teach urban planning, Chinese-traffic and transportation systems, and other subjects.
Osaka Mayor Junichi Seki visited
Shanghai in early December to flesh out the final agreement with university officials.
Osaka officials hope the branch in Osaka will gain the attention of Chinese companies, thereby helping Japanese businesses to expand their Chinese connections.
University and city officials said they expect the university branch to draw students from the business and other sectors, and hope to eventually set up a graduate school.
``We'd like this branch to enhance mutual understanding between Japan and China, helping to expand international exchanges among the new generation of students,'' says Yang Dongyuan, vice president of Tongji University.
For the past year or so, Osaka had been urging Tongji to open a branch in Kansai's largest center. Osaka officials had hoped to clinch a deal last year in time for the 30th anniversary of a sister-city agreement between Osaka and Shanghai.
The plan calls for about 100 students initially, studying a curriculum of mainly science courses-Tongji's specialty.
Courses would cover urban planning, traffic engineering and environmental engineering. Additional studies on Chinese law, business-management styles and customs, as well as Chinese-language courses also are planned for the future.
Professors from Tongji's main campus in
Shanghai will take turns teaching at the Osaka branch. Associate professors who graduated from Tongji and now teach in Japan will also be recruited. Classes will be taught mainly in Japanese and English.
Future plans include establishing a graduate school, in which students can earn a master's degree in two years. One plan calls for students to study in Osaka for 18 months and in
Shanghai for six months.
The school is seeking investment from Chinese companies to establish the Osaka branch. Officials are looking at several locations, including a building owned by Osaka city and a former elementary school in the city's center
