On 3 February, Kyoto University hosted the 2023 winter Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asi… read more
On 3 February, Kyoto University hosted the 2023 winter Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP).
The gathering — the ninth of its kind — opened with an address from Professor Katsuichi Uchida, president of Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI) Academic Committee, expressing his appreciation and expectations for Kyoto University’s role in the program. He was followed by Program-Specific Professor and Director Takao Hirajima of the KyotoU Division of Graduate Studies, who explained the aim of the program — now in its eleventh year — and the objective of the meeting as an opportunity for AFLSP scholars to share their research and public-service efforts with officials and others from both within and outside the University. In addition, he noted with delight that this academic year had seen the return of numerous program activities to an in-person format, resulting in more opportunities for interaction among the scholars than had been available in the previous few years.
The main part of the meeting consisted of presentation sessions run by Associate Professor Liang Zhao of the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS, or ‘Shishu-Kan’) and Junior Associate Professor Kai-Chun Chang of the Graduate School of Engineering. Nine scholars, who were finishing their first or second year of the program in March, presented their research and shared their public-service and other accomplishments over the past year. Three groups of scholars presented their Team-Project Based Research (T-PBR), involving small group work. T-PBR became a part of AFLSP in April 2022.
Afterwards, each presenter received feedback from the reviewers, who awarded one T-PBR group for outstanding achievement and presentation. The reviewers also offered commentary, emphasizing how they had enjoyed watching the presentations and learning about the scholars’ findings. In addition, they expressed hope that the students will continue to explore Japan’s cultural diversity, further expanding their knowledge and fostering personal connections along the way. Following these, one AFLSP graduate delivered a message, offering advice to the current scholars and sharing thoughts on the essence of leadership, the central focus of the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program.
Kyoto University expects AFLSP to continuously enrich the cultural diversity awareness and nurture the global leadership skills of Asian students for years to come.
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
AFLSP was established in 2014 by BXAI with the aim of providing young people in Asia with opportunities to study in other parts of the region, enabling them to deepen their understanding of different cultures while gaining the leadership skills needed to contribute to regional and global development.
The program currently accepts approximately 100 students each year to study at six partner universities in Japan and China. As one of the partner universities, Kyoto University annually hosts approximately ten scholars.
On December 15, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for academic cooperation and exchange was concluded betwee… read more
On December 15, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for academic cooperation and exchange was concluded between Kyoto University and The Jackson Laboratory, USA.
The Jackson Laboratory is a leading biomedical research institute that operates the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) database of mouse genome information and the Clinical Knowledgebase (CKB) database of cancer genome information. It is also an international supplier of over 8,000 genetically defined strains of mice, and has previously supplied mice to Kyoto University.
The signing ceremony for the MOU was held at Kyoto University, and was attended by President Nagahiro Minato, Prof. Tadashi Isa (dean of the Graduate School of Medicine), Prof. Fumihiko Matsuda (Graduate School of Medicine), and Prof. Masahide Asano (Graduate School of Medicine). The delegation from The Jackson Laboratory consisted of Dr. Lon Cardon, president and CEO, and four researchers. During the ceremony, the participants discussed the future of research collaboration between the two institutions.
The Transcultural Studies Division holds a special seminar entitled “Japan’s Ocean Borderlands: Nature and Sov… read more
The Transcultural Studies Division holds a special seminar entitled “Japan’s Ocean Borderlands: Nature and Sovereignty, offered by Professor Paul Kreitman from Columbia University on February 19, Monday.
Desert islands are the focus of intense geopolitical tensions in East Asia today, but they are also sites of nature conservation. In this global environmental history, Paul Kreitman shows how the politics of conservation have entangled with the politics of sovereignty since the emergence of the modern Japanese state in the mid-nineteenth century. Using case studies ranging from Hawai’i to the Bonin Islands to the Senkaku (Ch: Diaoyu) Isles to the South China Sea, he explores how bird islands on the distant margins of the Japanese archipelago and beyond transformed from sites of resource extraction to outposts of empire and from wartime battlegrounds to nature reserves. This study examines how interactions between birds, bird products, bureaucrats, speculators, sailors, soldiers, scientists and conservationists shaped ongoing claims to sovereignty over oceanic spaces. It considers what the history of desert islands shows us about imperial and post-imperial power, the web of political, economic and ecological connections between islands and oceans, and about the relationship between sovereignty, territory and environment in the modern world.
Date & Time: February 19, Monday 15:00-16:30 Location: Seminar room 2 (第2演習室), Faculty of Letters Main Bldg. (MAP⑧) Language: Lecture: English, Q&A: English/Japanese
Kyoto University will accept applications for its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP@KU) during t… read more
Kyoto University will accept applications for its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP@KU) during the period specified below. Eligible candidates are prospective KyotoU regular master’s students seeking October 2024 enrollment.
Those interested are asked to directly apply for the program after carefully reading the guidelines, which are available via the following link along with other required documents:
Monday 1 April to Wednesday 10 April 2024 (until 17:00 Japan time)
Contact
AFLSP Coordinator International Student Division International and General Education Promotion Department Kyoto University
Email: aflsp*mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * with @)
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
AFLSP was established in 2014 by BXAI with the aim of providing young people in Asia with opportunities to study in other parts of the region, enabling them to deepen their understanding of different cultures while gaining the leadership skills needed to contribute to regional and global development.
The program currently accepts approximately 100 students each year to study at six partner universities in Japan and China. As one of the partner universities, Kyoto University annually hosts approximately ten scholars.
As an initiative to realize the ‘creation of knowledge through a flexible and dynamic system’, which is one of… read more
As an initiative to realize the ‘creation of knowledge through a flexible and dynamic system’, which is one of the pillars of the National University Corporation concept, Kyoto University has established locally operated laboratories (On-site Laboratories) in collaboration with overseas universities and research institutions. Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies joined the On-site Laboratory program with Mahidol University in 2018, and is closely working together under the framework of Kyoto University On-site Laboratory “Mahidol Environmental Studies Education and Research Center.”
In this 7th workshop, there will be reports from the fields of environmental engineering, agriculture, public health and chemical engineering on the activities and experiences accumulated so far in research and education, as well as the outcomes of the double degree program with Mahidol University. We look forward to seeing you there.
The 7th Kyoto University – Mahidol University on-site laboratory workshop
Date: Friday, February 23rd, 2024 (11:30-17:45 JST) Venue: Salaya Campus of Mahidol University and online Participation fee: Free of charge Language: English only (no simultaneous interpretation)
◆Deadline for registration Thursday, 1 February 2024
◆Contact Secretariat of the Mahidol On-site Laboratory Workshop, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University E-mail: 160on-site@mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (change * to @)
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Unit will be held the JGP Seminars below. 【JGP Seminar IX (Series 3)】 Lectu… read more
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Unit will be held the JGP Seminars below.
【JGP Seminar IX (Series 3)】 Lecturer: Dr. Duncan W. Brown (President, Pacific Tech Link, USA) Title: Start-Ups and New Product Development Extraordinarily Exciting, Challenging and Fun! Date: 3:00 pm–4:30 pm, Jan. 10 (Wed.), 15 (Mon.), 22 (Mon.), 29 (Mon.), 2024 Place: A3-024, Katsura Campus, Kyoto University
【JGP Seminar】
Lecturer: Prof. Anita Ho-Baillie (The University of Sydney, Australia)
Title: Perovskite Solar Cell and Optoelectronic Research at the University of Sydney
Date: 2:30 pm–4:00 pm, Jan. 16 (Tue), 2024
Place: A2-307, Katsura Campus, Kyoto University
【JGP Seminar I-XII】 Lecturer: Prof. Bill Morandi (ETH Zürich, Switzerland) Title: (1) Modern Amination reactions. (2) New frontiers in cross-coupling reactions. (3) Reversible Chemistry through Shuttle Catalysis and Single-Bond Metathesis. (4) Reversible Chemistry through Shuttle Catalysis and Single-Bond Metathesis. Date: (1) 1:30 pm-3:00 pm, Jan. 24 (Wed), 2024 (2) 3:30 pm-5:00 pm, Jan. 24 (Wed), 2024 (3) 1:30 pm-3:00 pm, Jan. 25 (Thu), 2024 (4) 3:30 pm-5:00 pm, Jan. 25 (Thu), 2024 Place: A2-302, Katsura Campus, Kyoto University
Kyoto University School of Public Health will hold the International Lecture Series by International visitingp… read more
Kyoto University School of Public Health will hold the International Lecture Series by International visiting professors and lecturers. Please register from Google Form written on the flyer for each event.
International Lecture Lecturer: Prof. Stuart Gietel-Basten (Professor of Social Science and Public Policy, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Prof. Rintaro Mori（Visiting professor for collaborative graduate school courses at Kyoto University） Title: Prospective Ageing and Emerging Population Trend in the Asia-Pacific Region Date: 13:30pm – 15:30pm, January. 23 (Tue.) Place: This lecture will be held as a Hybrid Seminar Details: Flyer
Kyoto University has concluded a Letter of Intent (LoI) for research and innovation collaboration with the Ins… read more
Kyoto University has concluded a Letter of Intent (LoI) for research and innovation collaboration with the Institut Pasteur (Pasteur Institute), France. The agreement was signed by KyotoU President Nagahiro Minato on 16 November 2023 and by Institut Pasteur President Sir Stewart Cole on the 24th.
The two institutions have vigorously conducted research collaboration since the forming in 2016 of a joint research unit between the KyotoU Graduate School of Medicine’s Center for Genomic Medicine, as represented by its director, Professor Fumihiko Matsuda, and the Institut Pasteur’s Ecology and Emergence of Arthropod-borne Pathogens unit. The newly signed LoI is expected to further strengthen the partnership and advance collaboration in a broader range of fields.
The document specifically provides for efforts to establish in Japan a Pasteur Aging Research Center (PARC), with which the two institutions — as global leaders in the field — aim to promote cutting-edge research in biomedicine as well as the humanities and social sciences with a focus on addressing aging-related challenges. The LoI also represents a step forward in the planned establishment of the Institut Pasteur du Japon, potentially contributing to greater French-Japanese cooperation.
The agreement was announced on 4 December at the French Embassy in Tokyo with the attendance of the following: Professor Philippe Kourilsky, honorary president of the Institut Pasteur; Professor Tadashi Isa, dean of the KyotoU Graduate School/Faculty of Medicine; Professor Anavaj Sakuntabhai, representative director of Fondation Pasteur Japon; Professor Matsuda; and French Ambassador Philippe Setton.
On 29 November 2023, the International Education and Student Mobility Division, in collaboration with the Inte… read more
On 29 November 2023, the International Education and Student Mobility Division, in collaboration with the International Academic Research and Resource Center for Language Education (iARRC) of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS), held this semester’s Kyoteiko Hiroba, or ‘Partner Universities Square’, as a Student Lounge ‘KI-ZU-NA’ (KIZUNA) event.
Kyoteiko Hiroba offers an opportunity for students from and bound for the University’s partner institutions to get to know one another, and also for those interested in studying abroad to learn about available opportunities. It is hoped that international students may develop deeper connections with Kyoto University and with Japan.
In the event, held at the ILAS Building on the Yoshida-South Campus, exchange students from the University of Bonn, the University of Auckland, Maastricht University, and the University of Toronto delivered presentations in English introducing their home institutions and countries. These were followed by an informal discussion, where participants actively interacted with each other.
The event attracted more than 50 students, many of whom later expressed satisfaction with the program, describing their experience as fun, informative, and enriching.
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University has launched a new graduate program, “International Joint M… read more
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University has launched a new graduate program, “International Joint Master Degree Program in Global Markets, Local Creativities,” in September 2021.
This is a two-year master’s program. Over the two years, students will study at the University of Glasgow (UK), the University of Barcelona (Spain), and Kyoto University (Japan), and receive a joint degree from these three universities.
There will be an online (Zoom) orientation for the program on 30th Nov. 2023 (Thu.). All students interested in the program (both from inside/outside the University) are welcome to this session. The program’s faculty members will explain its curriculum and application procedure.
※Please visit our program website for the details. ※Please click HERE for online application.
On 26 October, Kyoto University’s International Student Division held a disaster prevention workshop for… read more
On 26 October, Kyoto University’s International Student Division held a disaster prevention workshop for international students in collaboration with the Kyoto Prefectural International Center and with cooperation from the Sakyo Fire Department. The event took place at the Yoshida-South Campus, marking its return to in-person format after a few years of being held online due to Covid-19.
The first part of the program was comprised of a lecture by Mr Seiya Yamamoto from the Kansai Center of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA Kansai), who discussed how to gather necessary information and evacuate to safety in the event of a disaster. It also included an exercise on using a hazard map to locate evacuation centers and shelters. The lecture was repeated online on 9 November.
In part two, following a briefing by staff from the Sakyo Fire Department on how to respond to an earthquake, participants boarded an ‘earthquake simulation-vehicle’ to experience a tremor of ‘intensity six to seven’ on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, gaining an opportunity to think about what to do during and after this type of emergency.
The final segment of the training was a fire drill focused on the use of water fire extinguishers. The session taught the students not just the proper use of the devices but also the importance of basic fire-response steps, such as shouting loudly to alert others to the fire and attract help.
By providing a simulated earthquake experience and fire-extinguishing drill in addition to a lecture, the workshop helped participants renew their awareness of the importance of disaster preparedness, contributing to a safe study-in-Japan experience for all.
We would like to formally announce “Kyoto University International ONLINE Symposium 2023 on Education and Rese… read more
We would like to formally announce “Kyoto University International ONLINE Symposium 2023 on Education and Research in Global Environmental Studies in Asia” at Hue University (with Zoom broadcast), Vietnam, on December 11 (Flyer attached).
We welcome everyone interested in global environmental studies and related issues. Please register on the following site:
The Opening Ceremony for the Kyoto iUP Preparatory Course was held on September 29, 2023. Kyoto University is … read more
The Opening Ceremony for the Kyoto iUP Preparatory Course was held on September 29, 2023.
Kyoto University is accepting excellent undergraduate students from all over the world through Kyoto University International Undergraduate Program (Kyoto iUP). In this program, students are not required to have Japanese language proficiency at the time of application.
This year we are welcoming 20 students from 12 countries and regions. The nationalities of students have become even more diverse, and for the first time, we are accepting students of Indian and German nationalities.
The ceremony opened with a welcome address by Professor Hiroshi Kokubu, the Executive Vice President. He introduced Kyoto University’s basic philosophy of “自学自習 (independent learning)” and encouraged students to make many friends and study Japanese language hard. Then Professor Hisashi Miyagawa, director of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS), delivered a welcome presentation. In the presentation, after introducing episodes from “Tsurezuregusa” by Kenko Yoshida and the words of Confucius, Prof. Miyagawa emphasized the importance of proactively asking people for advice and learn from them.
Next, the ILAS Professors and Lecturers who will be teaching the students during the next six months of the Preparatory Course introduced themselves to the students.
Finally, the new Preparatory Course students introduced themselves. Everyone gave a speech about their aspirations for university life, partially using Japanese they had studied.
Preparatory Courses began in October. The new Kyoto iUP students will start their lives in a completely new environment. We hope that they will spend next six months helping each other and spending fruitful time with their classmates.
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, Graduate School of Economics will … read more
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, Graduate School of Economics will hold four intensive lecture courses given by guest scholars invited from overseas universities.
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, the Division of Natural Resource E… read more
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, the Division of Natural Resource Economics (GSA) will hold two intensive lecture courses given by guest scholars invited from overseas universities.
[Course contents]
Visit the following links for further information:
Kyoto University Top Global University Project Mathematics Unit will be held the 9th KTGU Mathematics Workshop… read more
Kyoto University Top Global University Project Mathematics Unit will be held the 9th KTGU Mathematics Workshop for Young Researchers.
〇The 9th KTGU Mathematics Workshop for Young Researcher
Date: October 2 (Mon)- October 3(Tue)
Place: Department of Mathematics, Building no. 3, Kyoto University (North Campus)
The Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Unit will hold the JGP Seminar by Dr. Tracey M. Clarke (Dept. of Chemis… read more
The Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Unit will hold the JGP Seminar by Dr. Tracey M. Clarke (Dept. of Chemistry, University College London, UK).
Lecturer: Dr. Tracey M. Clarke (Associate Professor) (Dept. of Chemistry, University College London, UK) Title: Triplet States in Organic Photovoltaic Materials: Friend or Foe? Date: 14:30 pm–16:00 pm, Sep. 14 (Thu.), 2023 Place: A2-307, Katsura Campus, Kyoto University
On July 23, Kyoto University hosted the 2023 summer Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asian … read more
On July 23, Kyoto University hosted the 2023 summer Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP).
The gathering — the eighth of its kind — opened with an address from Kyoto University Division of Graduate Studies’ Program-Specific Professor and Director Takao Hirajima, who explained the aim of the program — now in its tenth year — and the objective of the meeting as an opportunity for AFLSP scholars to share their research and public-service efforts.
In the main part of the event were presentation sessions run by Associate Professor Liang Zhao of the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS, or ‘Shishu-Kan’) and Junior Associate Professor Kai-Chun Chang of the Graduate School of Engineering. Five scholars discussed their research and shared their public-service and other accomplishments over the past years. There were also presentations by three groups of scholars on their Team-Project Based Research (T-PBR). T-PBR, which involves working in groups of four or five, has been a part of AFLSP since April 2022.
After these sessions, each presenter received feedback from the reviewers, who selected one scholar and one T-PBR group for awards for excellent achievements and presentations. The reviewers also offered commentary, emphasizing the importance of experiencing cultural diversity and collaborating with each other. In addition, they encouraged the students to look beyond their fields of specialization, assuring them that participating in a broad range of activities will certainly benefit them in the future.
AFLSP is anticipated to continually facilitate Asian students’ understanding of cultural diversity and development of leadership skills for years to come.
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
AFLSP was established in 2014 by BXAI with the aim of providing young people in Asia with opportunities to study in other parts of the region, enabling them to deepen their understanding of different cultures while gaining the leadership skills needed to contribute to regional and global development.
The program currently accepts approximately 100 students each year to study at six partner universities in Japan and China. As one of the partner universities, Kyoto University annually hosts approximately ten scholars.
The Universität Hamburg-Kyoto University Strategic Partnership Joint Symposium 2023 was held collaboratively a… read more
The Universität Hamburg-Kyoto University Strategic Partnership Joint Symposium 2023 was held collaboratively at Universität Hamburg on June 19–20, 2023. The two institutions have actively promoted academic collaboration since concluding a university-level exchange agreement in 2017, followed by a strategic partnership agreement, which was concluded under the leadership of the institutions’ presidents in 2020. Kyoto University’s strategic partnerships aim to develop interdisciplinary research collaboration, develop joint research in new academic fields, and promote researcher mobility. As the three-year term of the strategic partnership agreement was due to expire in 2023, a ceremony to conclude a renewal of the agreement for a further three years was also held during the symposium.
The overarching theme of the symposium was “planetary health,” and researchers from both universities participated in four parallel sessions dedicated to infection research, climate research, environmental economics, and biodiversity. Approximately 70 people participated in the symposium, which marked the return to an “in person” format after several years of conducting such international events mainly online due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first day of the symposium opened with welcome remarks by President Hauke Heekeren of Universität Hamburg and President Nagahiro Minato of Kyoto University. Those addresses were followed by a presentation by Ms. Courtney Peltzer-Hönicke, head of the Department of International Affairs at Universität Hamburg, who spoke about the symposium’s approach to the overarching theme of planetary health. Prof. Yasuyuki Kono, Kyoto University’s vice-president for international strategy, then delivered a presentation discussing the ways in which Kyoto University’s activities engage with the topic of planetary health, and the expectations for the symposium. The representative researchers of each parallel session (see below for details*) then took to the podium to provide overviews of the sessions, introduce the group members, and respond to the moderator’s questions about the ways in which each session related to the others within the overall theme of planetary health. The researchers emphasized the importance of approaching the various issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. With those points in mind, participants from both universities, including early-career researchers, delivered presentations in the sessions and actively engaged cross-disciplinary discussions on their research topics and the potential for future collaborative research.
*Parallel sessions (representative researchers):
・Infection research (Prof. Hiroshi Nishiura, Graduate School of Medicine)
・Climate research (Prof. Tetsuya Takemi, Disaster Prevention Research Institute)
・Environmental economics (Associate Prof. Akihisa Mori, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies)
・Biodiversity (Associate Prof. Katsue Fukamachi, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies)
After the parallel sessions, the venue was moved to the Hamburg City Hall for the signing ceremony to extend the strategic partnership agreement. Ms. Kikuko Kato, consul-general of Japan in Hamburg, and Dr. Masahiko Hayashi, director of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Bonn Office, also attended the ceremony, and commented that, as there is a need for increased cooperation between Japan and Germany, the extension of the agreement and deepening of cooperation between the two universities is a welcome development. The agreement was then signed by the presidents of the two universities, and the participants witnessed the inauguration of a new three-year period of the strategic partnership.
On the second day of the symposium, the representative researchers of each parallel session gave a summary report of their discussions, mentioning the importance of maintaining an interdisciplinary perspective and continuing to involve early-career researchers. They also reported on the prospects for future collaborative research. The symposium was brought to a close with addresses by Prof. Kyoko Inagaki, Kyoto University’s executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and external affairs, and Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, chief sustainability officer of Universität Hamburg. The speakers remarked that the symposium had provided a large number of researchers, including early-career researchers, with an excellent venue for interdisciplinary research exchange focusing on the important issue of planetary health, and expressed their anticipation for the further development of collaboration in the future.
On June 19, 2023, we welcomed four professors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Public Health (SJTU… read more
On June 19, 2023, we welcomed four professors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Public Health (SJTU-SPH) to Kyoto University School of Public Health (KUSPH).
First, Prof. Yuichi Imanaka, Dean of KUSPH, gave a welcoming remark to the guests from SJTU-SPH. Next, Dr. Huang Rong, Executive Dean of SJTU-SPH gave an introductory lecture about the School using the point points slides. Then, Dr. Ayako Kohno gave an introductory explanation about KUSPH. After that, Dr. Masatsugu Sakata gave a detailed explanation about Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior. We continued our discussions over lunchtime, together with Prof. Naoki Kondo from Department of Social Epidemiology, and Prof. Taku Iwami from Department of Preventive Services of KUSPH.
In the afternoon, the delegates attended a lecture of “Social Epidemiology”. The lecture was on multistage modeling in social epidemiology. Overall, the colleagues from SJTU-SPH and five faculty members from KUSPH. We hope that this will become a new beginning of a friendly research collaboration between SJTU-SPH and KUSPH.
The Celebration Ceremony for the first Kyoto iUP Graduates was held on March 30, 2023. The graduates entered K… read more
The Celebration Ceremony for the first Kyoto iUP Graduates was held on March 30, 2023.
The graduates entered Kyoto iUP in October 2018 as the first students of the Kyoto iUP preparatory course, and they successfully obtained their bachelor’s degrees after the completion of their four-year undergraduate program.
The ceremony started with opening remarks by then-Executive Vice President, Prof. Hirajima (as of March 2023), and the Director of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS), Prof. Miyagawa gave them a celebration message.
After that, as acknowledgement speeches, two Kyoto iUP graduates made speeches in Japanese. In their speeches, they reflected on their four and a half years student life at Kyoto University, expressed their joy and gratitude for their graduation in fluent Japanese.
The faculty and staff were moved by their heartfelt speeches.
Then, on behalf of the junior Kyoto iUP students, two third-year students delivered their farewell speeches.
Lastly, as a closing remark, Kyoto iUP Program Manager, Prof. Hasebe, gave his congratulatory address.
We expect our graduates to be active as bridges between their home countries and Japan in their respective career paths as members of the Kyoto University iUP Alumni Association, while maintaining close ties with Kyoto iUP students and the university.
Registration for joining the AGST Top Global Course is now open! This programme offers participants the chance… read more
Registration for joining the AGST Top Global Course is now open!
This programme offers participants the chance to take part in intensive courses by invited scholars from abroad. Participants are also encouraged to advance their research at our partner universities in Europe and Asia. Participants who successfully meet all the requirements will be awarded a certificate that contains their detailed academic portfolio separately from the diploma at the time of graduation.
We are waiting for your application if you have interests in studying abroad, conducting research abroad or if you are just interested in joining the courses by invited scholars.
Please contact the appropriate office at your graduate school for inquiries and information.
[Application period] 1st July – 31st August, 2023 [Eligibility] Please refer to the website at the bottom. [How to apply] Check our website and submit the necessary documents to the appropriate office. https://agst.jgp.kyoto-u.ac.jp/top-global-course
On 6 and 15 June, Kyoto University and the Kyoto Prefectural International Center (KPIC) co-hosted an online l… read more
On 6 and 15 June, Kyoto University and the Kyoto Prefectural International Center (KPIC) co-hosted an online lecture on disaster prevention for newly enrolled international students.
The University and KPIC have held disaster-preparedness events every year since 2018 as part of an international student guidance program to help those eligible prepare for the types of natural disasters that can strike Kyoto, such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods.
The June 2023 lecture, held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic as were the 2020–2022 events, drew a total of 66 participants over two days (45 on the 6th and 21 on the 15th). The topics covered included Japan’s disaster warning system, evacuation centers, emergency calls, emergency kits, and useful resources such as websites and smartphone applications.
Many of the participants expressed satisfaction with the lectures, saying that they now understand the steps they can take to effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies as well as the importance of constantly striving to improve their preparedness.
The next training event is scheduled to take place during the fall semester.
Kyoto University Top Global University Project Mathematics Unit will be held the Super Global Courses Mathemat… read more
Kyoto University Top Global University Project Mathematics Unit will be held the Super Global Courses Mathematics’ Special Seminar by Prof. Nigel Higson(The Pennsylvania State University) and Prof. Gennadi Kasparov (Vanderbilt University).
〇Super Global Courses Mathematics’ Special Seminar（6/29,6/30）
Lecturer: Prof. Nigel Higson (The Pennsylvania State University)
Date: June 29 (Thu), and June 30(Fri), 2023, 10:30am-12:00am each day
Place: Venues will be announced individually at a later date. (Depending on the situation, you may not be able to participate in the event.)
Title:
(6/29)Hypoelliptic equations and noncommutative geometry, I. An introduction to Bismut’s hypoelliptic Laplacian
(6/30)Hypoelliptic equations and noncommutative geometry, II. C*-algebras and hypoellipticity
Registration is required: Please use the Google Form at the URL below to register.
Interested students are invited to online Q&As on July 14, 2023, during which they can ask questions about… read more
Interested students are invited to online Q&As on July 14, 2023, during which they can ask questions about the Transcultural Studies major and how to apply for a position in the joint degree program.
Location: Online (details upon registration) Date: July 14 (Fri) ①10:00 to 11:00 (JST); ② 17:00 to 18:00 (JST) Language: English and Japanese
For the details and the registration, please refer our website.
On February 4, Kyoto University hosted the 2022 winter Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asi… read more
On February 4, Kyoto University hosted the 2022 winter Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP).
The gathering, the ‘7th QE/Pre-QE’, opened with an address from Professor Katsuichi Uchida, president of Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI) Academic Committee, which sponsors AFLSP, expressing his expectations for Kyoto University’s role in the program. He was followed by Professor Masayuki Fujihara of the KyotoU Graduate School of Agriculture, chair of the University’s AFLSP taskforce. Professor Fujihara explained the aim of the program, now in its ninth year, and the objective of the meeting as an opportunity for AFLSP scholars to share their research and public-service efforts.
In the main part of the event — presentation sessions run by Associate Professor Liang Zhao of the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS, or ‘Shishu-Kan’) and Junior Associate Professor Kai-Chun Chang of the Graduate School of Engineering — five scholars discussed their research and shared their public-service and other accomplishments over the past years. There were also presentations by four groups of scholars on their Team-Project Based Research (T-PBR). T-PBR involves students working in groups of two or three and has been a part of AFLSP since April 2022.
After these sessions, each presenter received feedback from the reviewers, who later selected one scholar and one T-PBR group for awards for superior achievements and presentations.
AFLSP is anticipated to continually facilitate Asian students’ understanding of cultural diversity and development of leadership skills for years to come.
Meeting participants
During a presentation session
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
AFLSP was established in 2014 by BXAI with the aim of providing young people in Asia with opportunities to study in other parts of the region, enabling them to deepen their understanding of different cultures while gaining the leadership skills needed to contribute to regional and global development.
The program currently accepts approximately 100 students each year to study at six partner universities in Japan and China. As one of the partner universities, Kyoto University annually hosts approximately ten scholars.
We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the joint symposium with University of Zurich, one of the s… read more
We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the joint symposium with University of Zurich, one of the strategic partnership universities. The symposium will review the achievements of the strategic partnership to date including the experiences of research collaborators. Also, under the theme of “Data Science and Social Impact,” will discuss the ways that data science and AI are impacting research in the social and natural sciences, including points that should be considered for the future.
Since the ceremony will include an overview of the research collaboration and researchers exchange activities conducted between the two institutions, we would like to invite all interested parties to join us.
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Date：2023/3/7 9:30～15:15 (JA/JST) 2023/3/8 9:30～17:10 (JA/JST) Registration opens at 9:00. Venue：Shiran Kaikan, Faculty of Medicine Campus, Kyoto University Audience：Anyone is welcome to attend. However, advance registration is required. Cost： Free of charge. Language：English（no simultaneous translation） Format：in-person only －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Please access the link below for detailed program and registration form.
Student Lounge KI-ZU-NA’s monthly event for December 2022 was an English Rakugo Show featuring Sayohime,… read more
Student Lounge KI-ZU-NA’s monthly event for December 2022 was an English Rakugo Show featuring Sayohime, a female performer whose KIZUNA appearances have consistently drawn a large audience. Her latest show took place on a grand scale in the International Conference Hall, which had been temporarily converted into a yose (vaudeville theater), on the second floor of the Clock Tower Centennial Hall building.
The event began with Sayohime explaining the origins and 300-year-plus history of rakugo, a traditional art of storytelling, as well as the concept of ochi (punchline) and the use of sensu (folding fan) and tenugui (hand towel) as props. She then demonstrated some of the hand and body gestures designed to enact different characters and express emotions.
Following this introduction, the artist performed two stories in English: “Substitute Doctor”, a humorous and funny story about a medical apprentice, a boy named Shutatsu, who at the behest of his master goes to examine his first patient, and “A Famous Hanging Scroll”, a comical ghost story. Each act generated an enthusiastic audience response, possibly reflecting the universality of human emotions and their expressions — crying when sad and laughing when happy — which according to Sayohime is what makes rakugo fun and enjoyable for people from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Afterward, Sayohime led a rakugo workshop, teaching participants how to use their voices, bodies, and facial expressions to convey traditional Japanese humor. The session involved practicing two short stories in pairs and offered a chance to go onstage to perform in front of the others.
Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to experience traditional Japanese comic storytelling and mingle with peers, laughing and having fun together.
Practicing rakugo in pairsA participant performing a short story on stage
Kyoto University will accept applications for its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP@KU) during … read more
Kyoto University will accept applications for its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP@KU) during the period specified below. Eligible candidates are prospective KyotoU regular master’s students seeking October 2023 or April 2024 enrollment.
Those interested are asked to directly apply for the program after carefully reading the guidelines, which are available via the following link along with other required documents:
Saturday 1 April to Monday 10 April 2023 (until 17:00 Japan time)
Contact
AFLSP Coordinator International Student Division International and General Education Promotion Department Kyoto University
Email: aflsp*mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * with @)
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
AFLSP was established in 2014 by BXAI with the aim of providing young people in Asia with opportunities to study in other parts of the region, enabling them to deepen their understanding of different cultures while gaining the leadership skills needed to contribute to regional and global development.
The program currently accepts approximately 100 students each year to study at six partner universities in Japan and China. As one of the partner universities, Kyoto University annually hosts approximately ten scholars.
On 8 and 14 December, Kyoto University and the Kyoto Prefectural International Center (KPIC) co-hosted an onli… read more
On 8 and 14 December, Kyoto University and the Kyoto Prefectural International Center (KPIC) co-hosted an online lecture on disaster prevention for newly enrolled international students.
The University and KPIC have held disaster-preparedness events every year since 2018 as part of an international student guidance program to help those eligible prepare for the types of natural disasters that can strike Kyoto, such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods.
The December 2022 lecture, held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic as were the 2020–2021 events, drew a total of 78 participants over two days (50 on the 8th and 28 on the 14th). The topics covered included Japan’s disaster warning system, evacuation centers, emergency calls, emergency kits, and useful resources such as websites and smartphone applications.
Many of the participants expressed satisfaction with the lectures, saying that they now understand the steps they can take to effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies as well as the importance of constantly striving to improve their preparedness.
Kyoto University is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the 2023 Kyoto University Amgen Schola… read more
Kyoto University is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the 2023 Kyoto University Amgen Scholars Program.
Undergraduate participants can benefit from undertaking research projects with top faculty, being part of a cohort-based experience of seminars and networking events, and taking part in a student-focused Asia Symposium on biotechnology (co-hosted by Asia-based program partners: the University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, and Tsinghua University), featuring presentations by leading scientists.
Program period
6 June – 5 August 2023
Number of participants
23
Financial support
Scholarship (180,000 yen), travel costs, and accommodation
A ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of Kyoto University’s strategic partnership with the Unive… read more
A ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of Kyoto University’s strategic partnership with the University of Vienna was held online on 8 November 2022. The participants from Kyoto University were President Nagahiro Minato, Executive Vice-President Kyoko Inagaki, Vice-President Yasuyuki Kono, and Associate Professor Takeshi Nishimura of the Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior. The event was held to commemorate the renewal in October 2022 of the Strategic Partnership Agreement concluded between the two universities in 2019, and it was attended by the presidents, vice-presidents, and relevant faculty members of both institutions. Researchers from both universities gave presentations and discussed their collaborative activities through the partnership so far, as well as their plans of the future.
The event opened with remarks from President Minato and Rector Sebastian Schütze of the University of Vienna. That was followed by a session in which Vice-President Kono and Vice-Rector Manuela Baccarini of the University of Vienna gave presentations on the framework of the strategic partnership, collaborative activities to date, and their expectations for the future. That session was followed by a presentation by the International Office of the University of Vienna, outlining specific activities and future plans. The event was then concluded with a discussion session for researchers involved in the exchange activities, which included contributions by Associate Professor Takeshi Nishimura and Professor Wolfgang Mazal from the Department of Labour Law and Law of Social Security of the University of Vienna. During the session, which was moderated by Professor Nikolaus Forgó of the University of Vienna, Professor Nishimura spoke about his joint research with colleagues at the University of Vienna that was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in 2020, as well as his expectations for the future participation of early-career researchers in the exchange activities.
The event provided executive staff and researchers from both institutions with an opportunity to review the exchange activities conducted through the partnership so far, and discuss plans and prospects for the future.
President Nagahiro MinatoRector Sebastian Schütze Researchers’ discussion session
During six days in October, Student Lounge ‘KI-ZU-NA’ (KIZUNA) hosted a trial evening tour of Kenn… read more
During six days in October, Student Lounge ‘KI-ZU-NA’ (KIZUNA) hosted a trial evening tour of Kennin-ji (Kennin Temple) as part of its monthly event series. Produced and presented by Canon Inc under the title, “YORU ZEN – Find Your Own Zen”, the tour was included in the Japan Cultural Expo program led by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Each evening, participants enjoyed a projection mapping show featuring a high-resolution facsimile of Wind God and Thunder God, a National Treasure comprised of a pair of painted folding screens, a mixed reality (MR) view of the Daio-en Zen garden, and an augmented reality (AR) experience of the Twin Dragons depicted on the ceiling of the Dharma Hall.
The tour provided a great opportunity for the students to experience Japan’s traditional culture as presented using the latest technology while making new friends from other parts of the world.
Viewing Daio-en Zen garden through MRIn Kennin-ji’s Sho-shoin room
Kyoto iUP (Kyoto University International Undergraduate Program) is a 4.5-year program comprised of a six-mont… read more
Kyoto iUP (Kyoto University International Undergraduate Program) is a 4.5-year program comprised of a six-month preparatory course followed by four years of undergraduate studies. It offers a unique opportunity to study in Japan, not requiring prior Japanese language proficiency, while providing financial support including admission and tuition fee waivers and scholarships of up to JPY120,000 per month.
An upcoming information session features a program overview by Kyoto iUP Office staff, and a mini lecture by a professor of Kyoto University.
All those interested are welcome to attend.
******************************************************************* ★Scholarship Program★ Kyoto iUP Online Information Session for 2023 Enrollment
●Date and Time: 4:00-5:00 p.m.(JST), November 11, 2022 ●Format: Zoom ●Language: English ●Schedule: – Greetings from Kyoto iUP faculty members – Introduction of Kyoto University & Kyoto iUP – Mini Lecture: “Forests and Sustainable Development Goals” by Prof. Kaoru KITAJIMA, Graduate School of Agriculture – Q&A ●Registration: https://forms.gle/QM8bJXnLzUoeDXLD7 *Up to 500 people, on a first-come-first-served basis *******************************************************************
Kyoto University accepts exchange students from 154 institutions (as of 20 September 2022) under university-le… read more
Kyoto University accepts exchange students from 154 institutions (as of 20 September 2022) under university-level student exchange agreements.
From 27 to 30 September, Student Lounge KIZUNA hosted its first-ever ‘welcome week’ for new incoming students from these institutions as part of its monthly event series. A total of 172 eligible students visited the facility’s reading room over the four days to receive their ‘welcome packets’, containing a student ID card and a set of information materials, from KIZUNA’s student tutors and staff. Many of the students seemed excited about their new chapter in life as they listened to the tutors’ guidance on how to prepare for the upcoming semester in Kyoto.
The Opening Ceremony for the Kyoto iUP Preparatory Course was held on September 30, 2022. This year we are wel… read more
The Opening Ceremony for the Kyoto iUP Preparatory Course was held on September 30, 2022. This year we are welcoming 26 new students from Canada, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America and Viet Nam. This year, for the first time in three years, all preparatory course students were able to travel to Japan before the start of the course and participate in the opening ceremony in person.
EVP Hirajima delivering a welcome address
The ceremony opened with a welcome address by Professor Takao Hirajima, the Executive Vice President, who introduced Kyoto University’s basic philosophy of “自学自習（self-study）” and encouraged the students to make many friends and study Japanese language hard. Then Professor Hisashi Miyagawa, director of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS), delivered a welcome presentation. In the presentation, after explaining the origins of the university, Prof. Miyagawa emphasized the importance of overcoming challenges with new ideas.
ILAS Director Miyagawa giving a welcome presentation
Next, the ILAS Professors and Lecturers who will be teaching the students during the next six months of the preparatory course introduced themselves to the students.
ILAS Professor Hasebe introducing hiｍself
Finally, the new preparatory course students introduced themselves. Everyone gave a speech about their aspirations for university life, partially using Japanese they had studied.
Preparatory Course students introducing themselves
Preparatory courses began in October. The new Kyoto iUP students will start their lives in a completely new environment. We hope that they will spend next six months helping each other and spending fruitful time with their classmates.
Kyoto University participates in the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-Japan Scholarship Program (JSP) and accept… read more
Kyoto University participates in the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-Japan Scholarship Program (JSP) and accepts international students from developing countries in Asia. One of them, Mr. Gugi Yogaswara, a master’s student at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (April 2019 – March 2021), was selected as the first place winner in the “Rural Development and Environment” category of the ADB-JSP Thesis of the year Award 2022 (TOYA) by his master’s thesis (entitled: HOUSEHOLD WATER MANAGEMENT IN RURAL AND PERI-URBAN AREAS IN VIETNAM AND INDONESIA, supervisor: Prof. Shigeo Fujii) He also presented his research at the workshop (online) held on September 16, 2022.
TOYA is a program in which the host universities nominate graduates of the ADB-JSP from the previous year by their dissertations, and the ADB selection committee selects the recipients from these candidates. In 2022, 24 students from 16 universities were nominated for the TOYA, and 7 students, including Mr. Gugi, received the award.
Mr. Gugi’s research investigated water use behavior patterns in four rural and peri-urban communities in Vietnam and Indonesia, respectively, and analyzed the socioeconomic factors that influence these patterns. For this purpose, he conducted questionnaire surveys and water quality analysis in Vietnam and Indonesia by himself, and collected a large amount of data. The AOYA selection process was based on (i) an emphasis on contributions to knowledge for development, (ii) knowledge contribution on the ADB Strategy 2030 and the Japan Government’s priority areas, (iii) the development of outstanding researchers in the field, and his research proved to be up to it.
Official Announcement from ADB JSPMr. Gugi‘ｓ presentation during the workshop
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, the Graduate School of Economics (… read more
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, the Graduate School of Economics (GSE) will hold the intensive lecture courses given by guest scholars invited from overseas universities and institutions.
[Course registrations] Students who need credits: register during the period of course registration at the Student Affairs Office. Students who want to audit: contact the coordinator (GSE professors) and apply for participation. GSE professors in charge of each courses are indicated in syllabus.
Kyoto University Top Global University Project Mathematics Unit will be held the Super Global Courses Mathemat… read more
Kyoto University Top Global University Project Mathematics Unit will be held the Super Global Courses Mathematics’ Special Seminar by Prof. Pawel Nurowski (Polish Academy of Sciences, Polish).
Lecturer: Prof. Pawel Nurowski (Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences)
Title: How the Green Light Was Given for Gravitational Wave Search
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, the Division of Natural Resource E… read more
As part of a series of International Collaborative Courses offered by AGST, the Division of Natural Resource Economics (GSA) will hold two intensive lecture courses given by guest scholars invited from overseas universities.
Division of the Joint Degree Master of Arts Program in Transcultural Studies (JDTS), Graduate School of Letter… read more
Division of the Joint Degree Master of Arts Program in Transcultural Studies (JDTS), Graduate School of Letters hold lecture series as a part of the course, “Transcultural Asian Cinema”conducted by Prof. Mitsuyo Wada-Marciano.
Date & Time: October 11, 18, 25, November1, 8, 15, 15:00-18:15 Location: 1st floor Meeting Room, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto Uiniverisity Language: English
For further information, please refer to JDTS website.
On 30 July, Kyoto University hosted the 2022 summer meeting of its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (A… read more
On 30 July, Kyoto University hosted the 2022 summer meeting of its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP).
The gathering opened with an address from Professor Katsuichi Uchida, president of Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI) Academic Committee, which runs AFLSP. He greeted the participants and expressed his expectations for Kyoto University’s role in the program. Following this, Professor Masayuki Fujihara of the Graduate School of Agriculture, who chairs the AFLSP subcommittee of the University’s international student exchange committee, reflected on the institution’s involvement in the program since 2014. He emphasized the solid partnership that has developed over the years between Kyoto University and BXAI as well as the importance of the annual meeting as an opportunity for AFLSP scholars to share their study experiences.
In the presentation sessions — run by Associate Professor Liang Zhao of the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS, or “Shishu-Kan”) and Junior Associate Professor Kai-Chun Chang of the Graduate School of Engineering — seven of the scholars reported on their achievements in research, community service, and other activities over the past year. Next, four student groups, comprised of the seven scholars and others, shared the results of their Team-Project Based Research (T-PBR). T-PBR was introduced in April 2022 and involves students working in groups of two to four.
Each presenter received feedback from the judges, who later selected two scholars and two T-PBR teams for awards for superior accomplishments and presentations.
The organizers hope that AFLSP will continue to facilitate Asian students’ understanding of cultural diversity and development of leadership skills for years to come.
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
AFLSP was established in 2014 by BXAI with the aim of providing young people in Asia with opportunities to study in other parts of the region, enabling them to deepen their understanding of different cultures while gaining the leadership skills needed to contribute to regional and global development.
The program currently accepts approximately 100 students each year to study at six partner universities in Japan and China. As one of the partner universities, Kyoto University annually hosts approximately ten scholars.
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University has launched a new graduate program, “International J… read more
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University has launched a new graduate program, “International Joint Master Degree Program in Global Markets, Local Creativities,” in September 2021.This is a two-year master’s program. Over the two years, students will study at the University of Glasgow (UK), the University of Barcelona (Spain), and Kyoto University (Japan), and receive a joint degree from these three universities.
There will be an online (Zoom) orientation for the program on 4th Aug. 2022 (Thu.).
All students interested in the program (both from inside/outside the University) are welcome to this session. The program’s faculty members will explain its curriculum and application procedure.
※Please visit our program website for the details. ※Please click HERE for online application.
On 22 June 2022, the International Education and Student Mobility Division, in collaboration with the Internat… read more
On 22 June 2022, the International Education and Student Mobility Division, in collaboration with the International Academic Research and Resource Center for Language Education (iARRC) of the Institute for Liberal and Arts and Science (ILAS), held this semester’s Kyoteiko Hiroba, or ‘Partner Universities Square’, as Student Lounge KIZUNA’s monthly event.
Kyoteiko Hiroba offers an opportunity for students from and bound for the University’s partner institutions to get to know one another, and also for those interested in studying abroad to learn about available opportunities. It is hoped that international students may develop deeper connections with Kyoto University and with Japan.
In the 22 June event, held at the ILAS Building on the Yoshida-South Campus, exchange students from the University of Hong Kong, the University of Queensland, and the University of Toronto delivered presentations in English introducing their home institutions and countries. These were followed by a quiz session, where participants actively interacted with each other.
The event attracted about 50 students, many of whom later expressed satisfaction with the program, describing their experience as fun, informative, and enriching.
On 31 May and 1 June 2022, Professor Norihiko Tokitoh, executive vice-president for research and evaluation, a… read more
On 31 May and 1 June 2022, Professor Norihiko Tokitoh, executive vice-president for research and evaluation, attended THE Asia Universities Summit 2022, held for three days through 2 June by Times Higher Education, publisher of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
EVP Tokitoh participated in two sessions, one on 31 May and the other on 1 June. In the first of these, he joined representatives from some of the RU11-member universities to discuss the “challenges and prospects for the THE World University Rankings: Japanese universities perspectives”. In the second, entitled “Is creating talent about transforming access to university?”, he introduced some examples of the use of online tools at Kyoto iUP (link below) and exchanged opinions with participants from Chitkara University, Mahidol University, and Coursera Inc.
EVP Tokitoh, second from left, in the 31 May session
On Tuesday, June 21, Mr. Hideyuki Tanaka, State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology… read more
On Tuesday, June 21, Mr. Hideyuki Tanaka, State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and his delegation visited Kyoto University and inspected Kyoto iUP. First, after a speech from Professor Hisashi Miyagawa, Director of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences, Admission Officer of Kyoto iUP Office gave an overview of Kyoto iUP and the current admission situation, and Professor Junko Kawai explained Japanese language education of Kyoto iUP. After that, the delegation observed a hybrid format class of “Advanced Japanese (Academic Writing),” one of the Liberal Arts and Sciences courses (by Lecturer Koyo Akuzawa). Although it was only for a short time, they saw how international students, including iUP students, were working hard to learn Japanese. At the end of the inspection, two first-year students and three third-year students of Kyoto iUP were given the opportunity to meet with the State Minister. Kyoto iUP students spoke honestly about their daily life at Kyoto University, including their reasons for applying to Kyoto iUP and the difficulties of learning specialized subjects in Japanese and how they have overcome them. Third-year students were confident and fluent, while first-year students were nervous but tried their best to explain their stories in Japanese. The State Minister, who saw the students talking hard in Japanese about their life at Kyoto University, expressed his appreciation for their efforts, saying that in addition to their original excellence, they must be working even harder to overcome the difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 Disaster.
Interested students are invited to online Q&As on July 15, 2022, during which they can ask questions about… read more
Interested students are invited to online Q&As on July 15, 2022, during which they can ask questions about the Transcultural Studies major and how to apply for a position in the joint degree program.
Location: Online (details upon registration) Date: July 15 (Fri) ①12:00 to 13:00 (JST); ② 17:00 to 18:00 (JST) Language: English and Japanese
For the details and the registration, please refer our website.
Registration for joining the AGST Top Global Course is now open! This programme offers participants the chance… read more
Registration for joining the AGST Top Global Course is now open!
This programme offers participants the chance to take part in intensive courses by invited scholars from abroad. Participants are also encouraged to advance their research at our partner universities in Europe and Asia. Participants who successfully meet all the requirements will be awarded a certificate that contains their detailed academic portfolio separately from the diploma at the time of graduation.
We are waiting for your application if you have interests in studying abroad, conducting research abroad or if you are just interested in joining the courses by invited scholars.
Please contact the appropriate office at your graduate school for inquiries and information.
[Application period] 1st July – 31st August, 2022 [Eligibility] Please refer to the website at the bottom. [How to apply] Check our website and submit the necessary documents to the appropriate office. https://agst.jgp.kyoto-u.ac.jp/top-global-course
Mr. Ignazio Cassis, president of the Swiss Confederation, visited Kyoto University on April 21, 2022, to deliv… read more
Mr. Ignazio Cassis, president of the Swiss Confederation, visited Kyoto University on April 21, 2022, to deliver a public lecture titled “Science and Diplomacy to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century.” The lecture was held at the university’s Clock Tower Centennial Hall, and was attended by approximately 250 people, including Kyoto University students, faculty, and staff members. Mr. Cassis has headed Switzerland’s Department of Foreign Affairs since 2017, and was elected President of the Swiss Confederation for 2022.
The lecture was facilitated by Prof. Mika Yokoyama, Kyoto University’s deputy executive vice-president for international affairs and director of the university’s European Center. During his lecture, President Cassis discussed the ways in which a combination of science and diplomacy (referred to as “science diplomacy”) can play a role in addressing global issues, stressing its particular relevance to Japan and Switzerland, as both countries have advanced levels of science and innovation. A question and answer session was held after the lecture, during which President Cassis took questions from the audience. The lecture session was then concluded by an address by President Nagahiro Minato.
A panel discussion session was then held, which was moderated by Prof. Yuko Nishitani of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Law. The panelists comprised President Minato, Dr. Martina Hirayama, state secretariat for education, research and innovation (SERI), Dr. Matthias Erhard Egger, president of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and Dr. Christian Schwarzenegger, vice-president of the University of Zurich. The panel discussed the significance of academic collaboration between Japan and Switzerland and the role that industry can play in expanding academic collaboration in the future.
Public Lecture by President Ignazio CassisPanel discussion session
Video of Kyoto University SPH（School of Public Health）Short Courses have been posted on the homepage of the Ky… read more
Video of Kyoto University SPH（School of Public Health）Short Courses have been posted on the homepage of the Kyoto University Open Courseware (OCW). You can find the videos at the URL below;
〇November 2nd and 9th: Pandemic Preparedness and Response by UK Public Health Rapid Support Team
Prof. Daniel Bausch, Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Director of the United Kingdom Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST)
The Strategic Partnership Symposium: Strategic Partnerships to Strengthen International Competitiveness under … read more
The Strategic Partnership Symposium: Strategic Partnerships to Strengthen International Competitiveness under the Corona Pandemic was held online on 15 March 2022. Professor Yasuyuki Kono, vice-president for international strategy, attended the meeting on behalf of Kyoto University.
This symposium was organized by the University of Tokyo in its capacity as chair university of the project “Building a Network of ‘Strategic Partnerships’ to Strengthen International Competitiveness among Japanese Universities”, which was selected as a project for the “Japan Forum for Internationalization of Universities” in 2021. Kyoto University also assisted with the organization of the symposium as a member university of the project.
Following the symposium’s opening address and a lecture by a guest speaker from within Japan, the symposium’s international guest speaker, Professor Christian Schwarzenegger, vice-president for faculty affairs and scientific information of the University of Zurich, delivered a lecture titled “How to Build Strategic Partnerships between Universities”. The University of Zurich is a strategic partner of Kyoto University.
As an example of strategic partnership initiatives, Vice-President Kono delivered a presentation titled “Promotion of international research and education collaboration through strategic partnerships”. During the presentation, he explained the position and expectations of Kyoto University’s strategic partnerships, shared good practices, and discussed the benefits obtained.
Following presentations on strategic partnership examples delivered by the representatives of other universities, the symposium was concluded by an address by Vice-President Kono.
Widely sharing information about the strategic partnership initiatives is expected to enhance the internationalization and competitiveness of higher education in Japan.
Vice-President Christian Schwarzenegger, University of ZurichSession to introduce examples of strategic partnership initiatives
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University will launch a new graduate program, “International Joint Ma… read more
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University will launch a new graduate program, “International Joint Master Degree Program in Global Markets, Local Creativities,” in September 2021. This is a two-year master’s program. Over the two years, students will study at the University of Glasgow (UK), the University of Barcelona (Spain), and Kyoto University (Japan), and receive a joint degree from these three universities.
There will be an online (Zoom) orientation for the program on July 29, 2021 (THU). All students interested in the program (both from inside/outside the University) are welcome to this session. The program’s faculty members will explain its curriculum and application procedure.
※Please visit our program website for the details. ※Please click HERE for online application.
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University will launch a new graduate program, “International Joint Ma… read more
The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University will launch a new graduate program, “International Joint Master Degree Program in Global Markets, Local Creativities,” in September 2021. This is a two-year master’s program. Over two years, students study at the University of Glasgow (UK), the University of Barcelona (Spain), and Kyoto University (Japan), and who have completed this jointly established educational program and receive a single joint degree from the three universities.
The latest newsletter has been published by AGST (The Asian Platform for Global Sustainability & Transcult… read more
The latest newsletter has been published by AGST (The Asian Platform for Global Sustainability & Transcultural Studies). This issue features several international collaborative courses conducted in the Social Sciences and Humanities Unit; Graduate schools of Economics, Letters and Agriculture, and workshops with students from partner universities. An interview with an AGST professor is also available.
Two inbound master students in double master degree program, conducted internship report and mid-term report o… read more
Two inbound master students in double master degree program, conducted internship report and mid-term report on master’s studies. This program aims to obtain 2 master degrees: Global Environmental Studies (GSGES, Kyoto Univ.) and Engineering (Environmental and Water Resource Engineering, Mahidol Univ.) within 3 years.
The report from the 2018 AGST Overseas Challenge Programme participants has been published by the Social Scien… read more
The report from the 2018 AGST Overseas Challenge Programme participants has been published by the Social Sciences and Humanities Unit. This document compiles individual reports written by the eight students who participated in the program.
The AGST Overseas Challenge Programme aims to provide students from the Graduate School of Economics with a unique opportunity to advance their research projects by spending time abroad gathering information and exchanging with experts in their field of study.
From October 2018 the Graduate School of Economics is introducing a double degree doctoral program in collabor… read more
From October 2018 the Graduate School of Economics is introducing a double degree doctoral program in collaboration with the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow, targeting the fields of business and economic history
Students who enroll in this program receive research supervision and guidance from both universities, spending two years at Kyoto University and two years at the University of Glasgow. Over the course of the program students produce a single doctoral thesis and the student will be awarded a PhD in Economics from Kyoto University and a PhD in Economic and Social History from Glasgow University.
On 10 October, KyotoU’s Graduate School of Medicine hosted an inauguration ceremony for the Kyoto-McGill Inter… read more
On 10 October, KyotoU’s Graduate School of Medicine hosted an inauguration ceremony for the Kyoto-McGill International Collaborative Program in Genomic Medicine, a joint PhD program established earlier this year with McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
The program trains students in the use of life-science ‘big data’ for a wide variety of analytics applications, so that they can contribute to the advancement of preventive medicine.
The ceremony took place at the Seifuso Villa, starting with remarks from Professor Fumihiko Matsuda of the Graduate School of Medicine (deputy executive vice-president for international affairs and director of the KyotoU Center for Genomic Medicine), who provided the background and overview of the program. Professor Nagahiro Minato, KyotoU’s provost and executive vice-president for strategy coordination, research, planning, and hospital administration, and Professor Martha Crago, McGill’s vice-principal for research and innovation, then delivered congratulatory remarks and words of encouragement for the inaugural group of students.
Four guests then gave speeches congratulating the program’s launch and expressing hope for further collaborations involving the province of Québec and the rest of Canada: Director Takashi Fuchigami of the National University Corporation Support Division of the education ministry MEXT’s Higher Education Bureau; Second Secretary Christine Callahan of the embassy of Canada to Japan; Québec’s Delegate General Luci Tremblay; and Director Shinji Sawada of the University Policy Division of the Kyoto Prefecture’s Department of Culture and Sports. Two of this first group of students also spoke, describing their motivations and goals for studying in the program. The ceremony concluded with a photo shoot.
Afterwards, a luncheon meeting was held for those who had been involved in establishing the program. Following a toast from Dr Remi Quirion, chief scientist of Québec, participants enjoyed each other’s conversation, until the meeting came to a close with an address from Professor Shinji Uemoto, former dean of the KyotoU Graduate School of Medicine.
With the program launch ceremony and luncheon meeting having concluded successfully, the KyotoU-McGill partnership is anticipated to grow actively in the coming years.
ANNOUNCEMENT: INTERNATIONAL SPRING SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 2018 The Wild & Wise Collaborat… read more
ANNOUNCEMENT: INTERNATIONAL SPRING SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 2018
The Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Program
Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University
Call for students from Kyoto University
The “Top Global University Project” of Kyoto University invites graduate students to receive a short-term scholarship for studying at Kyoto University. The selected students will join the “International Spring School for Environmental Studies 2018 Program” at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES) with other participants from various countries.
Number of students to be accepted: 6 (six)
Qualification*1: High-achieving students who are registered with a full-time or part-time graduate (doctoral or master’s) program at Kyoto University and have a recommendation from their academic supervisor. They must continue their graduate program after completing the Spring School program. Students must be able to discuss environmental issues in English with other participants from various universities: Université Lille (France), University of Stirling (Scotland), University College Cork (Ireland), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy), KU Leuven (Belgium), Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania). Mahidol University (Thailand), Kasetsart University (Thailand), Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia), Tsinghua University (China), and National Taiwan University (Taiwan).
Duration of program in Kyoto: 22 February – 14 March, 2018
On June 27, 2017, the Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters received the authorization from the Japanese… read more
On June 27, 2017, the Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters received the authorization from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to establish a “Joint Degree Master of Arts Program in Transcultural Studies” with its partner, the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies (HCTS) at Heidelberg University, Germany. Complementing the accreditation of an international variant of the HCTS Master in Transcultural Studies (MATS), this new major was opened in October 2017 to enroll its first cohort of students in April 2018. The new Master program with Heidelberg University is the first joint degree established by Kyoto University and the very first such program in the humanities and social science with an international partner in all of Japan.
Building on the strengths of both institutions, this jointly conducted English-language graduate program offers students access to an interdisciplinary field in the humanities and social sciences to study and research transcultural dynamics between and within Asia and Europe in a global context. After a basic introduction into the theories and concepts of a transcultural approach, students will choose one of three study foci “Knowledge, Belief and Religion” (KBR), “Society, Economy and Governance” (SEG), or “Visual, Media and Material Culture” (VMC). Students enrolled in this program will spend one year at their home institution, the university where they enrolled in first, and one year at the partner university, while being supervised by academic staff from both institutions. The program completes with the successful submission of a master thesis in English in accordance with international academic standards.
Interested students are invited to an orientation on November 18, 2017 (Sat), 13:30-15:30, at the Kyoto University Tokyo Office.
They will learn about the new Transcultural Studies major and how to apply for a position in the joint degree program. Please find the orientation poster here.
Place: Kyoto University Tokyo Office
Tokyo, Chiyoda, Marunouchi 1-5-1, Shin-Marunouchi Bldg., 10th floor
Time: 13:30 to 15:30
Language: English and Japanese
Please register until November 12 via info[a]cats.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
The “Top Global University Project” of Kyoto University invites graduate students to join a short-term interna… read more
The “Top Global University Project” of Kyoto University invites graduate students to join a short-term international exchange program for studying at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES), Kyoto University. The selected students will join the “International Spring School on Environmental Studies 2017 Program” with 10 graduate students from various Universities located in Europe, America and Asia.
Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies of Kyoto University will hold an international spring school t… read more
Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies of Kyoto University will hold an international spring school titled ”Measuring Our Environments – International Spring School at Kyoto-“.
【Outline】
A program “Measuring Our Environments, International Spring School at Kyoto” is designed to understand the mountainous, fresh water and marine environment in Japan through both lecture courses and field studies. This program provides various techniques and knowledge of environmental science (environmental engineering, marine ecology, atmospheric chemistry, agronomy, and soil science) in the international academic culture of Kyoto University.
We encourage students with high academic capability and interests in international academic exchange to apply for this scholarship.
For details, please find the flyer and the website.
