Sakura Science Exchange Program Fifth Anniversary Symposium Held
Ceremony to commemorate 10,000 total invitees from China included
The Sakura Science Exchange Program, which started in 2014, celebrated its Fifth anniversary with a special event, the “Sakura Science Exchange Program Fifth Anniversary Symposium,” held on November 11, 2019. (Venue: Ichijo Hall, Yayoi Auditorium, the University of Tokyo)
The event was attended by a total of approximately 360 people, including personnel from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and various countries’ embassies, such as His Excellency Mr. Julio FIOL, the Chilean ambassador in Japan, overseas sending organization and Japanese receiving organization supervisors, and Sakura Science Club (alumni association) members who returned to Japan. The event was a place to look back on the last five years, confirming the program’s results and issues, and consider visions for the future.
The symposium was split into two sections. The 1st section was an announcement of the program’s results, featuring presentations by a total of 10 people, including representatives and supervisors for the accepting organization of the Sakura Science open application program, prominent professors at overseas sending organizations, and supervisors from organizations involved with the selection process.
The receiving organizations shared cases of the program’s application and their results, presenting on topics such as “major benefits for Japanese students and staff as well,” “international exchange without traveling abroad,” “use as an open innovation platform,” “not only single-sided acceptance of overseas participants in Japan, but the start of exchange going both ways.”
In addition, the sending organization presented topics such as “the use of Sakura Science as part of a global program” and “building a common philosophy through visiting Japan.” As a summation and conclusion of the 1st section of the symposium, President Miki Chitoshi of Tokyo City University commented as follows. “The Sakura Science Exchange Program is playing a major role in the cultivation of the next generation of human resources. I hope to continue reforming the program to make it even better moving forward.”
An announcement stated that the total number of invitees from China reached 10,000 with the group from Peking University who came to Japan at the invitation of Asahi University, arriving on the day before the symposium. They were invited to the venue for a special ceremony. JST China Research and Sakura Science Center Chief Arima Akito presented commemorative gifts and certificates to representatives of the group.
The 2nd section of the symposium started with speeches from JST Director, Hamaguchi Michinari, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Aoyama Shuhei, and Minister-Counselor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan and Deputy Chief of Mission, the Embassy of India in Tokyo, Raj Kumar Srivastavadiplomats. Next, the keynote speech was delivered by Mori Mamoru, Director of Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Guo Dongming, President of the Dalian University of Technology, and Kishi Teruo, science and technology consultant for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Afterward, a panel discussion was held, and the panelists each gave statements on the future of the Sakura Science Exchange Program such as “we need a policy to ensure that it doesn’t end as merely a transient event,” “strengthening connections with other businesses is important,” “expectations for expansion into fields with potential applications,” “we also need passionate promotion in the target countries and regions for invitations.”
The Sakura Science Exchange Program is continually developing and receiving support from new stakeholders, and at this symposium, Furuya Keiji, a member of the House of Representatives, as well as Hayashi Yoshimasa and Shionoya Ryu, both former Ministers of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, all took part as representatives of the Friendship Council for the target countries and regions and expressed a strong message of support. In addition, Omi Asako, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a speech as a representative of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Messages from many Japan-stationed ambassadors for target countries and regions who were unable to attend on the day of the event were also presented.
The five-hour symposium event ended with closing speeches by Okimura Kazuki, JST China Research and Sakura Science Center Senior Fellow, and JST China Research and Sakura Science Center Chief Arima Akito.
Program of Sakura Science Exchange Program 5th Anniversary Symposium
- １．Date, place
November 11(Mon), 13:00-19:30
Venue: Yayoi Auditorium Ichijo Hall
Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo - ２．Program
【Part 1】Presentation on Achievements of SSP（13:00－15:00）
① Opening Remarks by JSTKUROKI Shinichi (Deputy-Director General, China Research and Sakura Science Center, JST)② PresentationsMISAWA Naoaki (Professor, Director, Center for Animal Disease Control, University of Miyazaki)③ Summary
HORIE Miki (Principal, Ritsumeikan Primary School/Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School)
AOYAGI Masahiro (Director of Collaboration Promotion Unit, TIA Central Office, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST) Chou Miao Feng (Deputy Department Manager, Multi Segment, International Sales Department, Sales Division, HORIBA Limited)
HISADA Haruko (Representative Executive Director, General Foundation Corporation Tokinohane)
Jiang Xiaoping (First consultant, Division of Asia and Africa, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology People’s Republic of China)
Artiwan Shotipruk (Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)
Durai Sundar (Professor, Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India)
Nguyen Thi Thuy Ha (Principal Official, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Education and Training, Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
J.G.Shantha Siri (Head/ILD, International Liaison Division National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka)MIKI Chitoshi (President, Tokyo City University)Plenary Session （15:30-18:00）
① Address by President of JST: HAMAGUCHI Michinari
② Address by Parliamentary Secretary for Education、Culture、Sports、Science and Technology: AOYAMA Shuhei
③ Address by Embassy Representatives・Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan④ Keynote speeches
・Embassy of India in Japan
・Congratulatory messages from the diplomatic missionMOHRI Mamoru (Chief Executive Director of Miraikan - The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)⑤ Panel Discussion
GUO Dongming (President, Dalian University of Technology, People’s Republic of China)
KISHI Teruo (Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs)BABA Rensei (Executive Director, 21st Century Initiative) ※moderator⑥ Summary
HISHIYAMA Yutaka (Assistant Minister/Director General, Science and Technology Policy Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT))
FUJISHIMA Akira (Director, Photocatalysis International Research Center, Tokyo University of Science)
OHTOMO Katsuyuki (President, Asahi University)
OOI Hong Kean (Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University)
Jeetender Chugh (Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Pune, India) [Representative of Sakura Science Club]
Xu Yixin (Student, Faculty of Foreign Language, Dalian University of Technology, People’s Republic of China) [Representative of Sakura Science Club]OKIMURA Kazuki (Principal Fellow, China Research and Sakura Science Center, JST)⑦ ClosingARIMA Akito (Director General, China Research and Sakura Science Center, JST）