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Strategic International Advisory Group (SIAG)

SIAG stands for the Strategic International Advisory Group (SIAG), a group of international faculty members of Kyushu University, which has been made up of foreign faculty members of the University since September 2016. SIAG was established as the “SHARE-Q International Advisory Group” with the purpose of providing opinions and making proposals to the President (Director of Globalization Promotion Headquarters) regarding the internationalization of the university and other related matters. This was done to promote the vision of “Establishing the Strategic Hub Area for Top Global Research and Education, Kyushu University (SHARE-Q)”, which was adopted in the 2014 fiscal year as a part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Top Global University (TGU) Project”.
With the termination of the Top Global University Project in the 2023 fiscal year, in order to contribute to the global society as a hub of international intellectual circulation, SIAG is active with the aim of expressing opinions and making proposals to the President (Director of Globalization Promotion Headquarters) regarding the strategic promotion of internationalization at the University.

About SHARE-Q
The university has since been striving to become the world’s leading research and education hub under the name of Strategic Hub Area for top-global Research and Education, Kyushu University”or SHARE-Q for short.
SHARE-Q

About TGU
Kyushu U has been chosen as one of the 13 universities of the Top Global University (TGU) Project (Type A), a 10-year funding project launched by the Japanese government in 2014.
Top Global University Project (MEXT)

SIAG members

SIAG consists of international faculty members in Kyushu U as below.
（As of 1st April, 2023）

Board Members

  • Johan Lauwereyns, Senior Vice President and Professor, Faculty of Arts and Science
  • Natalie Konomi, Vice President and Professor, Global Strategies Office
  • Li Xiaoyan, Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation
  • Ellen Van Goethem, Professor, Faculty of Humanities
  • Jose M.M. Caaveiro, Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Osama Eljamal, Professor, Faculty of Engineering Sciences
  • William KF Tse, Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture

Associate Board Member

  • Vishwajit Sur Chowdhury, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Science
  • Caleb Carter, Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities
  • Andrew Hall, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies
  • O’Dwyer Shaun Richard, Professor, Faculty of Languages and Cultures
  • Robinson Enrique Fritz. Lecturer. Faculty of Languages and Cultures
  • Huixin Liu, Professor, Faculty of Sciences
  • Hemanta Hazarika, Professor, Faculty of Engineering
  • Sarantou Melanie Augusta Chilion, Professor, Faculty of Design
  • Gerard Bastiaan Remijn. Professor. Faculty of Design
  • Farzaneh Hooman, Professor, Faculty of Engineering Sciences
  • Douglas Drummond, Professor, Faculty of Agriculture
  • Kim Schumacher, Associate Professor, Institute for Asian and Oceanian Studies

SIAG activities

SIAG’s outputs so far include:

Proposals for the Internationalization of Kyushu University

SIAG has submitted its proposals for the Internationalization of Kyushu University to the university leaders.

Proposal One：SIAG Proposals 2016
December, 2016.

Proposal Two：SIAG proposals 2019
September, 2019.

Proposal Three：SIAG proposals 2021
March, 2022

Proposal Three：SIAG proposals 2023
March, 2024

Faculty Development (FD)

SIAG has organized a number of FDs, using English as the medium of communication (FDs). The FDs are designed to share information that are essential to the well-being and good performance of the university’s international community, but not readily available in English.

The absence of English communication often thwarts the international faculty from having access to the information essential to their good performance. Despite the fact that all our academic staff possess a considerable network of their own, moreover, the lack of interaction between Japanese and international faculty has made it difficult to fully utilize such potentially important resources. These FDs have been conceived partly to deal with these problems. More information about the SIAG activities can be found at the link below.

1st FDE: Setting Up International Collaborations
2nd FDE: LIFE – Informative Pension System
3rd FDE: Funding Your Research
4th FDE: Internationalization of Kyushu University: How Would You Change It ?
5th FDE: What All Researchers Should Know about Copyright and Patents – Opportunities, Rights and Obligations
6th FDE: Dealing With Harassment: What Kyushu U can do to help
7th FDE: Deciding the Future of Kyushu University
8th FDE: Workshop: Online Teaching Experiences
9th FDE: Financial Planning in Japan: Medical System, Insurance and Loans
10th FDE: How to Maintain Mental Health (during a pandemic)?: Lessons from Applied Psychology
11th FDE: Toward a Bilingual Environment at Kyushu University
12th FDE: Understanding the Faculty Evaluation Systems at Kyushu University
13th FDE: Boosting your KAKENHI Success Rate
14th FDE: Navigating the Undergraduate Classroom Strategies, Tips & Lessons from the Field
15th FDE: Succeeding in academic careers in Japan
16th FDE: Attracting global talent and making Kyushu University internationally competitive
17th FD: Scholars and Students at Risk: How can Kyushu University Respond to Transnational Threats to Academic Freedom?
Extra FD：Joint　FD led by IS (Kyoso) and SIAG tegic international Advisory Group)
　　　　　　COIL in ISI （Kyoso）& U of Glasgow
18th FD: Toward Bilingualization at Kyushu University
19th FD: Pension system in Japan

Mentorship Program “Q-Angel” for Newly Appointed International Faculty

“Q-Angel” is a mentorship program proposed by SIAG in the Proposals for Internationalization (AY 2023). In this program, experienced faculty members volunteer as mentors for newly appointed international faculty at Kyushu University. The program provides personalized support for various questions and challenges that new international faculty may face, from research and educational activities to daily life in Fukuoka.

Program Features:
  • Target: New international faculty members who are either tenured or with a contract of at least one year
    　(academic researchers and technical staff are not eligible).
  • Matching of newly appointed international faculty with experienced mentors (Q-Angels)
  • Advice on academic duties and research environment
  • Information and support for life outside the university
  • Regular meetings (in-person or online) for support
  • Network building among faculty members with diverse cultural backgrounds

    • For more details about the Q-Angel mentorship program, please see the brochure below. If you are interested in receiving support as a newly appointed faculty member, or in volunteering as a mentor (Q-Angel), please contact to the Coordination Team.

    Q-Angel Program Brochure (PDF)

    Contact:
    Q-Angel Coordination Team
    　 Professor Jose Caaveiro, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
    E-mail：jose@phar.kyushu-u.ac.jp