Vice President Shen Yunci and Headmaster Tamada Hideko unveil the plaque.

On the morning of March 27, Ms. Tamada Hideko, Headmaster of the Musashi Urawa Japanese Language Institute, led a delegation to visit our university. President Wang Haohan extended a warm welcome and held a meeting with the guests, joined by representatives from the Office of International Cooperation.

President Wang gave an overview of the university’s current development goals and strategic priorities, expressing hope that both institutions could leverage their respective strengths to accelerate internationalization and expand opportunities for multi-dimensional collaboration.

Ms. Tamada acknowledged the long-standing international orientation and robust educational resources of Musashi Urawa, noting that the institute is well-positioned to support Ningbo University of Finance & Economics in areas such as student mobility and faculty international development.

The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on advancing bilateral educational cooperation, with particular focus on implementation pathways for the “Dual Excellence Graduate Pathway Initiative.”

In the afternoon, the opening ceremony for the jointly established Graduate Pathway International Program was held on campus. Vice President Shen Yunci and Headmaster Tamada jointly unveiled the program plaque, marking the official launch of this international talent development initiative. Faculty and student representatives from both institutions, as well as project team members, were present for the occasion.

In her remarks, Vice President Shen emphasized that the collaboration represents a key step in the university’s internationalization strategy and an active contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative. The program integrates high-quality educational resources from both China and Japan to create a seamless “bachelor-to-master” pathway, empowering students to pursue postgraduate study and fostering deeper cultural exchange and talent development between the two nations.

Headmaster Tamada introduced the institute’s tailored support for program students, including intensive Japanese language training, immersive cultural experiences, and targeted preparation for admission to top Japanese universities such as the University of Tokyo and Waseda University. She expressed confidence that the initiative would serve as a strong bridge for Sino-Japanese educational collaboration.

The Graduate Pathway International Program is a flagship initiative under the university’s broader commitment to educational openness and interdisciplinary innovation. Built on a dual-mentor system, customized curriculum, and overseas academic immersion opportunities, the program offers a streamlined route to elite Japanese universities. The inaugural cohort comprises 29 Japanese majors from the School of Humanities.

In conjunction with the “Dual Excellence Initiative” discussed during the visit, the two institutions plan to further deepen cooperation in education, research, and innovation. Future collaboration will focus on establishing a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing academic exchange, joint research, and integrated talent cultivation.

(Written by: Office of International Cooperation, School of Humanities, International Education College; Photography: Xu Kaiyang, Wang Wei, the Communications and Marketing Office; Reviewed by: Zhu Fengmei, Office of International Cooperation, and Hu Shangui, International Education College, Wang Qi School of Humanities)