Students and staff at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have received a number of grants from the Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation for studies in Japan. In 1990, cooperation with Japan became a high-priority area for NTNU’s technical faculties. Thanks to several large grants from SJSF in the early 1990s, university delegations could travel to Japan to negotiate cooperation agreements at institutional level. Agreements were signed with the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University (Faculty of Engineering) and Tokyo Institute of Technology.
The Research Council of Norway also contributed funding for joint research and student exchange between NTNU’s engineering faculties and Japanese universities. At NTNU, Professor of Social Anthropology Jan Brøgger played a central role in setting up courses to broaden the understanding of Japanese culture, with grants from SJSF in 1996 and 1997.
In 1995, an agreement was signed to start the Japan Program at NTNU, a joint effort between the university and Norwegian industrial partners. The programme was formally established in 1998. The idea behind it was that industry needs staff who not only have an education in technology or the natural sciences, but who also understand international trade, other cultures and foreign institutions.
In 2009, the programme’s core activities were education that introduces students to Japanese culture and institutions, seminars on Japan-related topics for students, Norwegian industry, research and national authorities, and new cooperation in research, funding and exchange between NTNU and Japanese institutions. At that time, the programme was led by Assistant Professor Paul Midford of the Department of Sociology and Political Science.
