HSD wants to establish a strategic focus on Japan within its network of international university partnerships. For this purpose, it has initiated the HSD-Japan Gateway project – with great success: HSD has received a total of €497,000 in funding for the HSD-Japan Gateway concept from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
HSD has long-standing relations with Japan, in particular through a close partnership with University of Aizu. These contacts are now to be expanded. Over the next three years (2026–2028), HSD will establish and expand strategic partnerships with universities and other partners in Japan as well as the German-Japanese business community in Düsseldorf. The Centre for Digitisation and Digitality (ZDD) is intended to serve as a gateway and launchpad for the development of a network for interdisciplinary German-Japanese collaboration. ZDD is a teaching and research institute that develops application-oriented solutions and innovative study programmes in the field of digital transformation and digitality.
The project was developed together with professors Jens Herder from the Faculty of Media and Kay Schröder from the Faculty of Design and in consultation with the university Board of Management and the head of ZDD. The core element of the concept is the development of two collaborative project modules with Japanese partner universities as well as the annual organisation of a summer school at HSD and a winter school at one of the Japanese partner universities. These give German and Japanese students an opportunity to work on topics together and get to know each other’s culture.
Another essential component of the programme is the involvement of practice partners on both the German and Japanese sides, which should also generate practical transfer. Finally, the exchange of visiting researchers will also be a central aspect of the activities to strengthen research collaboration.
