First Russia-Japan symposium on staff training has been held in Osaka

Japan and Russia held the first symposium focused on student exchanges for further training of personnel for industrial sectors of both countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, Economic Development Minster Maksim Oreshkin and President of All-Russia Business Association ‘Delovaya Rossiya’ (Business Russia) and chairman of the Russian-Japanese business council Alexei Repik participated from the Russian side, while Japan was presented by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko, who is in charge for economic ties with Moscow. More than 10 higher education institutions from both countries send delegations of their representatives to Japan’s Osaka.

According to Japan’s Minister of Economy, it was decided at the meeting to expand the item on humanitarian exchanges of the current cooperation plan. "We are expanding the eighth item of the cooperation plan related to humanitarian exchanges by developing student exchanges. Currently we are implementing 13 relevant projects," he said.

Potential for cooperation

Moscow and Tokyo consider efforts to expand student exchanges and bolster cooperation in the area of staff training to have huge potential for economic development of both countries. Particularly, Olga Golodets said at the symposium, that the sides currently face similar tasks in the field of professional training. "We understand that today’s potential for expansion of humanitarian cooperation is very promising, and our task is to unlock it. Our countries are similar in terms of population structure, we also face a certain deficit of labor resources, while the issue of professional training is very relevant both for Russia and Japan," she said.

Golodets expects joint Russian-Japanese programs in the area of professional training to propel it to new heights. According to Deputy PM, Moscow is ready to provide more education allowances for Japanese students.

"As of today we provide allowances for students from other countries. Now 97 students from Japan are getting a tuition-free education in Russia. We are ready to provide more allowances for Japanese students in top in-demand specialty areas," she said. The expansion of inter-academic ties between Russia and Japan has huge potential, Golodets said, adding that as of now around 250 agreements reached by educational institutions of the two countries are in place.

Source: www.tass.com