The World 100 Reputation Network Conference is the key annual opportunity for highly ranked universities - both members and non-members - to share reputational achievements.

The W100 Annual Conference 2012 took place in Japan, in the magnificent Mori Building in Roppongi, one of Tokyo’s most recognizable skyscrapers located in the heart of the city. The conference was co-hosted by the British Council and brought together senior directors from leading universities in Japan and around the world with corporate affairs, international or reputational/brand responsibilities for their organisations, to share and build on their expertise of communicating the value of higher education and its institutions.

It allowed for opportunities to explore different aspects of reputation management including branding and public engagement, and to take part in interactive dialogues on these issues with experts from world-class universities.

Japan is home to some of the world’s leading research-intensive universities and is making great efforts to internationalise its higher education system and promote the quality of its education and research at a global level. The Japanese government has implemented significant reforms to support this internationalisation and it was against this backdrop of change that the debate on some of the key issues in international higher education took place.

The British Council in Japan has been active in supporting the internationalisation activities of Japanese higher education institutions.

The conference was complemented by a Study Tour of leading Tokyo and Kyoto universities for W100 members.


Conference Overview


The conference provided the context for understanding the impact of reputation management and aimed to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the concept, by introducing case studies and responses by the media on themes such as branding and public engagement.

The conference was split into two parts. The first part set the scene for the discussion by introducing the impact of reputation management, the role of the World 100 Reputation Network in supporting reputation management, Japan’s visions and challenges in internationalisation, and the relationship between rankings and reputation.

The second part moved on to discuss concrete institutional case studies, and ways of interpreting the case studies in cross-cultural contexts.

Workshops Overview |

The workshops took the themes presented in the conference forward and turned awareness into action. Again these fell into two parts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, each consisting of a plenary session in which facilitators introduced their respective themes, followed by a breakout workshop session.

Topics covered in the workshops included:

  • Public engagement
  • Extending the brand through international collaboration
  • Brand as an international motivator for student mobility/improving the student experience
  • Crisis planning/managing reputation during natural/human disasters
  • Establishing brand distinctiveness
  • How to amplify research reputation.

 

University Visits | 12 December 2012

Visits to The University of Tokyo and NHK

Tokyo is a capital city that effortlessly combines cutting-edge technology and a unique pop culture with a rich and ancient culture. Its leading university, The University of Tokyo, perfectly demonstrates this mix, boasting a large number of Japan’s most historically influential figures among its alumni while continuing to generate world-leading research in the present day.

The University of Tokyo is the highest-ranked Japanese institution in all the major global university rankings. It is also the lead university in the Global 30 initiative, the government’s flagship programme for internationalising higher education. This visit allowed delegates to gain an insight into the university’s activities. The visit to NHK provided delegates with the chance to find about the workings of one of Japan’s most influential media machines and get the media perspective on the latest trends in Japanese education.

University Visits | 13 December 2012

Visits to Kyoto University and Ritsumeikan University

Famous as the home of Japanese culture, Kyoto is also an academic hub, boasting one of the highest densities of universities in the country. The visits included trips to Kyoto University and Ritsumeikan University.

Kyoto University is a prestigious state university renowned globally for the quality of its research, as demonstrated by the large number of Nobel laureates it has given rise to.

The prestigious private, Ritsumeikan University, is a leading member of Japan’s internationalisation drive. Its sister institution, the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, is a unique example of a Japanese university offering bilingual degree programmes where international students make up nearly half of the student body. The visit to Kyoto allowed delegates to gain an insight into the contrasting nature of state and private universities in Japan and also included time to experience some of Kyoto’s traditional culture.

Become a Member

The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.

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