2024 Japanese Studies Fellow Conference in Kyoto

  • The scene of a group session.
  • A group photo featuring about 100 participants of the Japanese Studies Fellow Conference.
  • Group photo of 10 participants of the Japanese Studies Fellow Conference.

On Friday, December 20, 2024, “The Japan Foundation Japanese Studies Fellow Conference 2024” was held in Kyoto by the Japan Foundation (JF) and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken), in cooperation with the Consortium for Global Japanese Studies (CGJS) as a co-organizer. The conference was held as a part of the “Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0” Networking Event. In the Plenary Session, “The Social Relevance of Japanese Studies”, Dr. Phan Hai Linh, Associate Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, gave a keynote report, and then Dr. Kitti Prasirtsuk, Professor at Thammasat University, and the two JF-Nichibunken Fellows joined on stage for a lively discussion on the situation in their countries. The following Group Session and Poster Networking Session provided an opportunity for nearly 100 participants, including JF Fellows currently conducting research in Japan and Nichibunken faculty members, to interact across regional, disciplinary, and generational boundaries. The diverse comments were made on the social relevance of Japanese studies as follows: “As an economically developed country, Japan’s problems can provide lessons for other countries’; “It is valuable for Japan to develop researchers who can explain about Japan”; and “An objective understanding of Japan will lead to better policies and actions in Japan and abroad, and ultimately to a better world”. Among the survey responses were: “I learned a lot about the situation of Japanese studies, various initiatives and needs in each country”; “I particularly enjoyed the Group Session”; and “It was great to meet so many researchers”.

The recorded video on the Plenary Session of the Conference is available on JF’s YouTube channel at:

Related Website Page of Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0:

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