News & Announcements
IUJ held a symposium at TICAD7 Official Side Event on August 27th
The International University of Japan (IUJ) has participated in the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) Official Side Event which was held in Yokohama on August 27th to 30th. At TICAD, international stakeholders, as well as Asian and African nations, can get together at this global and multilateral forum and promote Africa’s development. On Tuesday, August 27th, IUJ held a symposium where the panellists discussed the development of future leaders for African countries based on their experiences.
Opening the symposium, Professor Itami, IUJ President introduced the new program, Japan-Global Development program (JGDP), which was initiated last year. The aim of JGDP is to educate future leaders from all over the world about the Japanese experience of development which differs from the development found in the West. On JGDP, international students can learn about the logic and lessons in development from Japanese experiences and acquire knowledge and skills to develop strategies for their home countries. For Japanese students, they can develop the ability to explain the logic of Japanese development in English and then convey that to the world.
It was followed by Professor Yamaguchi giving his insight into the historical experience of Japanese development which focused on the intellectual background of Japanese in 19th century when it became a modern nation state.
Mr. Matsuyama, the previous ambassador to Botswana mentioned that the private sector has now played an important part in future development in Africa. He added that Africa has huge potential with natural resources and operation is expanding as well as a clear vision for the future. Capacity building plays a crucial role for the implementation of Agenda 2063. He believes IUJ will continue capacity building for Africa countries through TICAD process.
The final panel member, Mr. Mohammedahmed, an IUJ MBA graduate, talked about his own experience of studying some courses from JGDP. The program provided the opportunity to study and learn from Japanese experience of development. He mentioned that they were able to learn the movement of changes in detail from specific industries. In another course, he noted, they were able to learn about the roots of Japanese management style and to learn about the key elements of the success of the Japanese economic. He remarked that building human capital capacity will be a key element for future development in Africa.
The key questions discussed in the symposium were the lessons drawn from the Japanese experiences, the differences of this program from western development studies and how it can help the future development in Africa. The panellists shared their thoughts of using the lessons learnt from the Japanese experience and the successful cases in other Asian countries and how it can apply to African nations. It was agreed that when these principles and concepts are applied in Africa, there should be some adjustment depending on the situation and environment. It’s also crucial that the both parties should work together and carry out the plan step by step. Furthermore, finding the opportunity to engage and have conversations with counterparts is important for the future development.
Professor Yamaguchi concluded the symposium by noting that we are hoping to have more similar conversations and intellectual exchanges between the African and Japanese students at IUJ.
Thank you very much to all who attended our symposium.
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IUJ is holding an information session in Tokyo on Sunday October 6th
| Living in Japan right now, and looking to further your education? The International University of Japan is holding an information session in Tokyo on Sunday, October 6th from 2pm until 4pm, to give prospective students insight into what the school has to offer.
IUJ was established in 1982 as the first English-language graduate school in Japan. Currently, 340 students from 60 countries undertake studies at the university, with alumni hailing from a total of 136 countries. It truly lives up to being the university Where the World Gathers. IUJ is a school that is continually growing – not just by the number of countries that students hail from, but in its international standing. The Graduate School of International Management proudly obtained accreditation from AACSB in February this year, and the University’s PhD program was inaugurated in 2015 with the number of doctoral candidates increasing annually. This information session is applicable to those interested in applying to IUJ for the 2020 academic year or in the near future. The event will give participants the opportunity to find out more about what the university has to offer, as well as the chance to meet current students and alumni for first hand accounts of their experiences with the school. ======= The tentative schedule is as follows: Venue: For your attendance, please send the application form . For more about our university, visit www.iuj.ac.jp/about/education/ , our online brochure
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IUJ Alumni Networking Forum was held
IUJ held the IUJ Alumni Networking Forum in IUJ Tokyo Office. Over 20 IUJ alumni ranging in graduation years from 1985 to 2018 joined for an evening of continuing education and networking. Our special speaker was IUJ’s own Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, now a specially appointed faculty member specializing in Cross Cultural Communication skills and communication sensitivities.
Alumni and their guests became more aware of how important it is to look beyond a person’s “single story.” To look more deeply at a person than just one impression, and to get to know them not by asking “where are you from?” but “where are you local?” This simple change can help us get to know more of a person’s current cultural situation, and then go back to their earlier years to “where are you from?”. He stressed that not only is this important when interacting with person from a different nationality, but even within your same nationality: As people from Bangladesh and Japan are different, so are people from from Osaka and Tokyo (“Why do they use the opposite side of the escalator from each other?”). To help the participants continue their discovery and understanding of these issues, Dr. Ahmed shared several impressive TedxTalks to view later on. Many in the audience eagerly took photos of the screen to remember to check them out.
After the mini lecture, an interactive networking and information exchange took place until the attendees were finally willing to leave the venue. All agreed that holding such continuing education events 3-4 times a year is beneficial for everyone. The Alumni Relations Office promised to continue organizing them.
Special thanks to Dr. Ahmed, IUJ’s Super Global University office for their partial sponsorship, and the Alumni Executive Council for their support and participation.
IUJ Alumni Relations Office
International University of Japan