On 27 July, Kyoto University hosted the 2024 Summer Qualifying Examination (QE) / Pre-QE meeting of its Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP).
The gathering — the tenth 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 delivered a message to the AFLSP scholars in attendance and explained the aim of the program, in which Kyoto University has been involved for more than ten years. He also outlined the objective of the meeting as an opportunity for the students to share their research and public-service efforts with officials and others from both within and outside the University.
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 Associate Professor Kai-Chun Chang of the Graduate School of Engineering. Four scholars, who were finishing their first or second year of the program in September, presented their research and shared their public-service and other accomplishments over the past year. Next, four groups, each composed of three to seven members, reported on the results of their Team-Project Based Research (T-PBR), which involves AFLSP scholars and Japanese students working together.
Afterward, each presenter received feedback from the reviewers, who awarded one T-PBR group for an outstanding achievement and presentation. The reviewers, including Professor Shinnosuke Obi, a member of the BXAI Academic Committee, emphasized how much they had enjoyed listening to the presentations and learning about the findings described. They also expressed pleasure at having met these students, whom they praised as extremely talented and impressive in their enthusiasm for new knowledge. In addition, referring to one of the T-PBR presentations that discussed traditional music as a school subject in Japan, they expressed hope that the students will continue to explore the country’s cultural diversity and to expand their personal connections along the way. The reviewers’ comments also included words of encouragement and advice for the scholars regarding their future activities.
Kyoto University expects AFLSP to continuously enrich the cultural diversity awareness and nurture the global leadership skills of Asian students for years to come.
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.
