The Government of Japan hosted the ASEM Symposium on Educational Exchange on 17 and 18 November, 2003, at Tsukuba, Japan, in cooperation with Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). With the audience of more than 100, the panelists exchanged their views on bi-regional educational exchanges of their countries as well as future tasks for further promotion of the exchanges.

Professor and Dr. Mineo Nakajima, Secretary-General of the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) served as the chairman of the symposium. Following the opening ceremony, two keynote speeches were delivered: Professor Tsutomu Kimura, President of the National Institute for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, on the importance of guaranteeing the quality of higher educational institutions in the globalizing world and increased opportunities for educational exchanges; and by Dr. Michael Reiterer, Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Commission in Japan, on the details of ASEM since its establishment, its significance, and its projects and initiatives including the field of education.