The British Council in Japan plans to send a delegation of 10 to 15 staff from Japanese HE institutions to visit UK counterparts between Monday 30 January and Friday 3 February 2017, with the specific aim to learn how HE institutions can be engaged with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Japanese participants will be accompanied by a staff member of the British Council.

Purpose of the mission

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Tokyo in 2020, and Japanese HE institutions are expected to get involved and contribute to the success of the Games in various ways. This mission aims to provide Japanese HE institutions with opportunities to learn about UK HE institutions’ successful involvement in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, its impact on their institutions and society, and the legacies of the Games.

We also expect participating institutions in the UK and Japan to identify common interests in opportunities related to the Olympic and Paralympic Games through discussions, which would lead to the development of new or enhanced partnerships between them.

Proposed programme

We would like host UK institutions to provide an overview of the topics below (minimum of two topics required) either in a briefing session or interactive workshop with relevant staff from the host institution as well as through visits to relevant facilities, followed by discussions on possible UK-Japan collaborative activities in the future.  

[Required topics]

Development, implementation and legacies of:

• Volunteering schemes for students and staff, including aspects of enhancing students’ employability such as leadership, communication and teamwork skills
• Hosting training camps, including aspects of collaboration with internal and external stakeholders such as local governments and businesses
• Academic modules related to the Games
• Public engagement activities including Cultural Olympiad programmes
• Media relations, including aspects of enhancing the institution’s brand and reputation using the Games

[Optional topics]

• Support systems for Olympic and Paralympic athletes
• International student recruitment through engaging with the Games
• Activities especially focusing on the Paralympics

An interpreter will be provided for each session.

Timing

We plan to hold the mission between Monday 30 January and Friday 3 February 2017. We hope to visit 5-7 institutions. At each institution, we would like to participate in a full day or half a day visit programme between 10:00am and 4:00pm (subject to discussion).

Costs

Travel costs will be covered by the delegates. It will be greatly appreciated if host institutions could kindly offer the following(s):

• Networking lunch or tea breaks for the delegation during the visit
• Transport for the group either by taxi or coach between the nearest train station/local accommodation and the campus (if applicable)

Institutions which can offer on-campus accommodation with internet access will be preferred. The maximum tariff per night (including breakfast and tax) is shown below.  The cost will be covered by the delegates.

• Edinburgh £70
• London £120
• Elsewhere £60

Selection methodology

We will select host institutions taking the following aspects into consideration:

a) Universities or higher/further education colleges that can demonstrate case studies on engagement with the London 2012.  Institutions that can share case studies related to the Paralympic Games will be preferred.
b) Geographical location in relation to other host institutions
c) Overall balance of the topics covered
d) Interest in developing partnerships with Japanese universities

Japanese participants

We plan to invite 10 to 15 staff members from Japanese HE institutions which are interested in engaging in the Tokyo Games as well as building partnerships with UK HE institutions.

How to apply

If you would like to host a visit, please complete the following on-line form (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DNV9JN6) by Monday 24 October 2016. We will notify you of the selection results by the end of October.

Cancellation

Please note that the British Council may cancel the mission if there are not enough Japanese participants. In such case, we will inform the selected institution of the cancellation by Friday 13 January 2016.

Background  

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) has created a network consisting of more than 700 Japanese universities to encourage universities’ engagement with the Tokyo Games through activities such as promotion of Olympic and Paralympic education and development of global talent, driven by the unique characteristics of each institution.

To showcase the UK’s experience and to strengthen UK-Japan HE links through the engagement with Olympic and Paralympic Games, the British Council in Japan published a report entitled “What are the roles and opportunities for universities before, during and after an international sporting event? - How UK universities contributed to, and benefitted from, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Lessons for success in Tokyo 2020” and staged a symposium in Tokyo in December 2015.

Reference:
https://www.britishcouncil.jp/en/programmes/higher-education/reports/2020-games-university-symposium

There has been an increasing interest in getting involved in the Games among Japanese HE institutions, but most are still trying to determine what they can actually do. We believe that organising this inward mission would help UK institutions showcase their success and offerings, and to establish new relationships with Japanese counterparts.

Contact:

Yuji Saito
Project Manager (Education)
British Council Japan
T +81 (0)3 3235 8047          
F +81 (0)3 3235 8040
ihe@britishcouncil.or.jp