On 18 December 2021 the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP) and the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS, or "Shishu-Kan") jointly hosted online the program's fifth special lecture, featuring Musashino University Visiting Professor Yoriko Kawaguchi, who had previously served as foreign minister, environmental minister, and special advisor to the prime minister on foreign affairs. A total of 61 viewers — AFLSP scholars, KyotoU students, and numerous others — tuned in from both within and outside the University.
In her lecture, entitled "Our Common Future: Asia-Pacific, Climate Change, and Gender Parity", Professor Kawaguchi referred to AFLSP's goal of producing leaders for the Asia-Pacific region and, in this context, called on the students in attendance to consider the region's collective future with a focus on the issues of climate change and gender inequality.
The event concluded with a lively Q&A session, which covered a wide variety of topics including climate change, gender parity, Asia-Pacific's common values, and Japan's immigration policies and international contributions.
Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP)
Established by BXAI in 2014, AFLSP offers opportunities for young people in Asia to study in other parts of the region, so as to help them 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, including KyotoU, which annually hosts around ten scholars.
