On 18 September, Kyoto University participated in the South Africa-Japan Academic and Student Exchange Fair at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in the Republic of South Africa. The event was organized by Hokkaido University as part of its Study-in-Japan Global Network Project.
There were a total of 23 participants from Japanese organizations: nine universities including KyotoU, represented by Dr Toshirou Kamiya, a university research administrator; the Office of Consul of Japan in Cape Town; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) South Africa Office; and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Nairobi Research Station.
On the previous day, an Academic Exchange Workshop was held in Cape Town with around 65 officials from Japan and four major local universities attending for networking and discussion. KyotoU hosted a booth for individual consultation, where Dr Kamiya received visits from three local faculty with an interest in academic exchange, and together explored possibilities of research cooperation.
The South Africa-Japan Academic and Student Exchange Fair on the next day attracted around 140 participants, including local high school and university students with high interest in studying in Japan, as well as representatives of the participating Japanese organizations. Following presentations on topics such as the appeal of Japan as a study destination, available scholarships, and the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, university officials introduced their own institutions and programs. Dr Kamiya detailed Kyoto University's study environment using a video clip specially produced for prospective international students, entitled “Campus Life”. The University's consultation booth, meanwhile, was visited by around 20 UCT students with a wide variety of academic interests, including mathematics, pharmaceutical sciences, business administration, and engineering. The students asked Dr Kamiya about matters such as how to apply for admission and how to select the right laboratories for their needs.
UCT is one of Africa's foremost universities with high research capabilities, having produced three Nobel laureates, one each in Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, and Literature. Its alumni include Dr Christiaan Barnard, who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant, and Mark Shuttleworth, who developed Ubuntu, a LINUX distribution. UCT is the continent's leading academic hub that continues to attract outstanding students and researchers from all across Africa.
It is anticipated that KyotoU's participation in the study fair will lead to stronger connections between the University and the Republic of South Africa, as well as the rest of the continent, in the coming years.
Dr Kamiya speaking in Xhosa, the local language, at the Academic Exchange Workshop
Consultation at the Workshop with a researcher from a Western Cape university
South Africa-Japan Academic and Student Exchange Fair
KyotoU consultation booth at the Student Exchange Fair
