Partnership with Gakugei University Tokyo to be expanded

Dr. Masayuki Nakaji, Professor of Music Education at Gakugei University, Prof. Lydia Grün, President of the University of Music and Theatre, and Prof. Markus Bellheim, Head of the International Office at the University of Music and Theatre, agreed on Wednesday, 24 May 2023 to focus more on student exchanges in the future. Teacher Training students and students of artistic-pedagogical courses from Munich will now have the opportunity to gain important experience in Japan.

This is an important expansion of the exchange programmes offered by the University of Music and Theatre, affirms Prof. Markus Bellheim: »With this expansion of the partnership, we can make a particularly attractive offer for students in Music Education degree courses. These students are very interested in studying abroad. I am very pleased that we can now create this opportunity.«

Dr. Masayuki Nakaji, Professor of Music Education at the Gakugei University of Tokyo, emphasises: »The previous exchange of teachers and in the area of research was and is very fruitful. The fact that we can now also invite students to the Gakugei is a wonderful enrichment and brings parts of Munich’s culture to Tokyo even more directly than before.«

Rebecca Gürster will be the first student from the University of Music and Theatre to travel to Tokyo in the coming winter semester 2023/24 to study at Gakugei University. Rebecca Gürster is studying to become a teacher at the University of Music and Theatre, majoring in piano. She has already learned Japanese for her exchange. She is particularly looking forward to immersing herself in Japanese culture: »For me, this includes not only musical aspects such as Japanese musical instruments, but also everyday things like living together in the international hall of residence. I hope to take part in regular music classes at one of the schools on campus, as I’m particularly interested in how other countries approach this.«

So far, our university has around 70 partnerships with universities within and outside the European Union. An important part of the internationalisation strategy of the University of Music and Theatre, which was newly adopted in 2022, is the constant expansion of the existing global network and international artistic and academic exchange. In this context, our students are encouraged to spend part of their studies abroad and to see exchange projects as an integral part of their studies.

Gakugei University Tokyo was founded in 1949 through the merger of four state schools for the training of teachers. Since its founding, the university has become a renowned institution in pedagogical degree courses, being named a »Flagship University for Teacher Education« by the Japanese Ministry of Education and Science in 2022.