On 7th December 2022, the first JICA Chair Lecture on "Educational Development in Japan’s Modernization" was delivered at the Tajik National University by Dr. KAYASHIMA Nobuko, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development. Prof. Khushvakhtzoda Qobilion Khushvakht, Rector of the Tajik National University, gave opening remarks, and H.E. AIKI Toshihiro, Japanese Ambassador to Tajikistan, noted the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Tajikistan and expressed his hope that the JICA Chair Lecture would contribute to strengthening bilateral relations. More than 300 participants, including students and teachers, asked many questions, indicating their high level of interest in Japan.
In November 2022, the third special intensive lecture of JICA chair was held with online style at Thammasat University, Thailand. Professor Sato Jin, the University of Tokyo, gave lecture, which introduces the characteristics and approaches of Japanese ODA using ODA projects conducted by Japan in 80’s and 90’s as examples. The event ended on a high note with a lively exchange of questions and answers with the participants.
In September 2022, Dr. KITAOKA Shinichi, Special Advisor to the President (former President) of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), visited Thailand to give "JICA Chair Special Lecture" at King Prajadhipok's Institute and Chulalongkorn University.
This was the second time for Chulalongkorn University following the one held in March 2022, and the first time for King Prajadhipok's Institute. The event ended on a high note with a lively exchange of questions and answers with the participants.
From February 28th to March 17th, 2022, the first JICA Chair webinar series (10 lectures in total) were held in Bhutan. Presidents, faculty members and students from Khesar Gyalpo University of Health Sciences of Bhutan and the Royal University of Bhutan (Sherubtse College and College of Science and Technology) participated in these lectures and there was a maximum of 110 participants. In the series of lectures, the DVD material "Seven Chapters on Japanese Modernization" was used, and in addition, special lectures on the themes of "Aging Society and Elderly Care", "Local Development" and "Public Health" were given by lecturers who are familiar with Bhutan. In the Q&A session, participants and lecturers exchanged opinions on the possibility of applying the Japanese experience in Bhutanese development and there was a lively discussion. From now on, JICA will further continue to cooperate Japanese studies in Bhutan.
On 28th February, 2022, the JICA Chair Induction Seminar was held at Maldives National University as the kick-off event to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Maldives. More than 180 participants, including the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives, the Resident Representative of the JICA Maldives Office, faculty members and students joined the seminar. Lively discussions took place during the seminar, and it was an opportunity to possibly implement the JICA Chair Program in the near future and to foster momentum for strengthening the relations between Japan and the Maldives.
On 25rd February, 2022, the opening event for JICA Chair was held at University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). H.E. Nobuyuki Watanabe, Japanese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, and Prof. Griffin, Vice President UPNG, and more than 80 people including professors, students, and media representatives participated in the event. Series of lectures will be implemented with the DVD material "Seven Chapters on Japanese Modernization". UPNG is the first JICA chair base in the Pacific region.
On 3rd February, 2022, the First JICA Chair special lecture in Pakistan was held at Quaid-i-Azam University: QAU. Dr. KAYASHIMA Nobuko, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, gave special lecture entitled "Educational Development in Modernization in Japan and Pakistan" and also a National Staff from JICA Pakistan Office explained overall of JICA's educational cooperation in Pakistan. There were lively discussion during Q&A session and QAU officials shared opinion that "We would like to learn more from the history and experience of Japan". Through a series of JICA Chair lectures, JICA will continue to supportfor Japanese Studies in Pakistan.
On 18th December, 2021, a special lecture of the JICA Chair was held at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Professor Kato Hiroshi, International University of Japan, gave the lecture titled “Cambodia-Japan Collaboration: Its Past, Present, and Future”, with more than 160 participants. Dr. Oum Ravy, Vice President of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, commented on importance of continuous cooperation with Japan based on her own study experiences in Japan, and expressed strong expectations to collaborate further with JICA. In Cambodia, JICA will continuously promote Japanese studies with a focus on Japan’s development experiences and facilitate human resource development.
On 3rd December, 2021, the JICA Chair was launched at National University of Mongolia and opening event was held. In the event, Prof. Kato Hiroshi, International University of Japan, gave lecture entitled “Japan's International Cooperation and Partnership between Mongolia and Japan ”. 80 people including students, university staffs, journalists and others participated in the lecture and there was lively Q&A. This JICA Chair series is launched by Embassy of Japan in Mongolia, National University of Mongolia and JICA Mongolia office, as a part of cerebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Mongolia (2022), the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the School of international relations and public administration at National University of Mongolia (2021), and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the JICA Mongolia Office (2022). JICA will support more for establishment of a center for Japanese Studies in Mongolia.
On 4th November, 2021, the JICA Chair was launched at Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies as a partner, which plays a central role in Japanese research in Uzbekistan. At first lecture, Dr. Kitaoka Shinichi, President of JICA, gave lecture entitled “Meiji Revolution: Start of Full-Scale Modernization”. About 230 students and others including government official participated in the lecture and there was lively discussion. JICA Chair program consists of 4 lectures in total. After a series of lectures, JICA will support more for establishment of a center for Japanese Studies in Uzbekistan.
On September, 2021, Certificate Course on Japan’s Modernization by JICA Chair was launched at University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and first online lecture was held. Based on the memorandum of understanding regarding this program signed between JICA Sri Lanka office and the University of Peradeniya, series of eight lectures will be held by February 2022, and the university will issue a certificate to those who have completed the program. In the first lecture, after video material "Meiji Revolution: Start of Full-Scale Modernization" by Kitaoka Shinichi, President of JICA (Chapter 1 of "Seven Chapters on Japanese Modernization") was screened, Dr. Monte CASSIM, President, Akita International University gave special lecture. Professor Kamala Liyanage of the University of Peradeniya and students also joined the Q&A session, and there was a lively discussion such as "What can be learned from the process of the Meiji Restoration in Japan for the development of modern Sri Lanka?" .
On July 30, 2021, the first JICA Chair lecture in Laos was held with online style at LJI, National University of Laos. Gaku Funabashi, Associate Professor of Graduate School of International Management, International University of Japan/JICA's Senior Advisors, gave a lecture based on video material “Economic Growth and Japanese Management" (Chapter 4 of "Seven Chapters on Japanese Modernization", co-produced by JICA and Open University of Japan). Participants engaged in a productive exchange such as “what enables industrial transformation”. They also gave comments such as “In the management system of Japanese, the rights of employees are secured” and “I can understand well the background of Japanese economic development.”
On June 29 2021, Special Lecture by JICA Chair was held at the Universitas Indonesia (University of Indonesia). Following the opening remarks by Dr. Adrianus Waworuntu fromUniversity of Indonesia and Mr. Tanaka Tsutomu, Senior Representative from JICA Indonesia Office, Dr. Aoyama Atsuko, Emeritus professor of Nagoya University, gave a special lecture entitled "Public Health and Health Systems in Japan". The participants were highly interested in Japan's universal health insurance system and the problems of low birthrate and aging population, and many questions were raised. The number of participants exceeded 170 via online. From September 2021, Long-term lecture of JICA Program for Japanese Studies will be launched at University of Indonesia, and JICA will continuously cooperate for Japanese Studies in Indonesia.
Special lecture series with JICA Chair were held in February and April 2021, in the close cooperation with Assistant Professor Benjamin A. San Jose of the Ateneo de Manila University. The first lecture entitled "Japan's International Development Cooperation and the Philippines: How can we work together for a peaceful and prosperous Asia?" was given by Professor Kato Hiroshi, International University of Japan and the second lecture entitled "The Philippines and Japan in the Indo Pacific" was given by Dr. Takagi Yusuke, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. The participants showed great interests in the topics and the lively discussions took place throughout both lectures, arousing the questions such as on "Philosophy of Japan's International Development Cooperation”, “The differences between China's One Belt, One Road Initiative and Free and Open Indo-Pacific, etc. Both lectures ended successfully and we received many positive feedbacks telling that the lectures have broadened their knowledge and further interests of Japanese studies.
In March 2021, a special webinar was held at the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) and the University of Malaya. MJIIT was established with the cooperation of Japan for the purpose of developing human resources with high productivity and competitiveness, and conducts joint research with Japanese Universities and companies incorporating Japanese-style engineering education. The University of Malaya, with its Department of East Asian Studies and Malaysia-Japan Research Center, has been a leading institution in Japanese studies in Malaysia. These webinars were held at each university thanks to faculty members and students who are highly interested in Japan.
In March and May 2021, special intensive lectures of JICA chair were held as part of “Prime Minister Suga Commemorative Course” at Vietnam-Japan University (VJU). This course consists series of lectures on relevant topics with the policy speech given by Prime Minister Suga at VJU in October 2020. It is implemented as one of the formal curriculums of Bachelor program of Japan Studies in VJU from February to June 2021 in collaboration with Mr. Kunihiko Miyake (Special Advisor to the Cabinet), Mr. Takebe (Special Advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association), Embassy of Japan, JETRO, JICA, Japan Foundation and various Japanese companies in Vietnam.
In this course, as intensive lectures of JICA Chair, JICA conducted lectures on "rule of law" and "countermeasures against infectious diseases" by related JICA experts as well as "ODA" lectures by Mr. Shimizu, Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office. VJU is now preparing the lectures of the Japan Studies program, utilizing DVD "Seven Chapters on Japanese Modernization" as teaching material, thereby expanding activities of JICA Chair.
On March 10, 2021, Short Intensive Lecture of JICA Chair was held at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the University of Dhaka, the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence, and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh in 2022. In the lecture, Chapter 4 "Economic Growth and Japanese Management" of the DVD "Seven Chapters to Know Japanese Modernization" was screened, and after that, Dr. OHNO Kennichi, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), gave a lecture titled “Policy Learning for Economic Growth and Industrial Transformation”. The number of participants in the lecture exceeded 3,000. Discussion session was extensive and mainly focused on how Bangladesh, which is to graduate from LDC(Least Developed Country) in 2026 and is on a growth track, can learn something from the policies of other countries and adjust them according to the situation of their own country.
On November 26, 2020, a special intensive lecture of JICA chair was held at Thammasat University, Thailand. Professor Kato Hiroshi, the International University of Japan, gave lecture, which explains the history that Japan has flexibly adopted various technologies and systems from overseas and the history of postwar economic development, and relations with Asian countries. Professor Kato also explained the characteristics, philosophy, and historical background of Japanese ODA. There was lively Q&A session and many questions such as “the relationship between Japan's economic development and Japanese ethics” were asked from students.
