Singapore highest pedestrian bridge,spans Henderson Road to connect Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

East & Southeast Asia

Through engagements in the region that span over a century, U of T takes pride in its longstanding contributions to enhancing academic and people-to-people ties between Canada and East and Southeast Asia.

Partnerships in the Region

The University of Toronto attracts many talented students from the region. They form an invaluable contribution to our diverse, international student body. We are also proud of our vibrant alumni community, which includes many prominent leaders in government, the corporate sector and in academia. The International Leadership Council, comprised of distinguished alumni, provides a vital contribution to U of T’s international strategy in East and Southeast Asia.

U of T faculty members closely collaborate with leading universities in the region, such as National University of Singapore (NUS), the University of Tokyo, and Tsinghua University. We have developed many successful relationships with corporate partners such as Fujitsu, LG Electronics, Samsung, or Naver, to name a few. From co-funded labs and research centers, through to graduate internship opportunities, and professional development – these partnerships are important drivers of research and innovation.

In addition to impactful research collaborations, some of our most popular student exchange partners are in East and Southeast Asia, including NUS, the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Kwansei Gakuin University, and Fudan University.

U of T has staff in the region in our Beijing Office, a hub to facilitate people-to-people connections, student engagement, and support ongoing partnerships, as well as through U of T’s Hong Kong Foundation which focuses on alumni engagement and partnership building.

Fuji and Shinjuku skyline

  • 19186

    (Fall 2022)

    Degree students

  • 1703

    (2018-2022)

    Student mobility

    (850 outbound, 853 inbound)

  • 15140

    (2022)

    Alumni

  • 18078

    (2018-2022)

    Joint publications

Partnership Highlights

National University of Singapore

U of T and NUS have built a strong and trusted partnership, encompassing both research collaboration and diverse pathways for student mobility. Most recently, in 2023 we have renewed our Memoranda of Understanding.

In 2018, NUS and U of T launched the International Entrepreneurship Highway, a program which offers a unique opportunity to students by placing them in full time start-ups for internships in leading innovation ecosystems in North America and Asia.

Through International Doctoral Clusters (IDCs), U of T supports faculty members and their graduate students in developing international training networks in areas of shared strategic focus.

NUS is the largest host institution for our students among U of T exchange partners, and they are a strategic partner for U of T’s Centre for International Experience.

University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo is U of T’s key partner in Japan with collaborations spanning over 20 years.

In 2006, the Consortium on Sustainable Materials between the U of T Department of Materials Science and University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) was established to collaborate on sustainable technology research. The consortium was established with funding primarily from NSERC and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It promotes cooperative research activities and is used to house researchers of the Institute during their visit to U of T.

We are also proud to share strong collaborative links in Regenerative Medicine.