On 17 September, the Euro Rakuyukai, a UK-headquartered association of former Kyoto University students and employees residing in Europe, held a gathering in London with President Juichi Yamagiwa (chairman of Kyoto University Alumni) and Dr Kayo Inaba, executive vice-president for gender equality, international affairs, and public relations. Both had been in town to take part in a symposium that was to be held the following day. Twenty Rakuyukai members attended.
The meeting opened with Vice-Chairman Kenichi Kinukawa (lawyer at Simmons & Simmons LLP, Graduate School of Law 1992) announcing that the association now has 161 members, including two who have met each other through Rakuyukai, and are getting married this winter.
President Yamagiwa then reported on some of the recent notable developments at the University, including being granted the status of Designated National University, and the various initiatives to be implemented under this program, such as creating the position of provost, starting an international undergraduate program, and pioneering the next generation of humanities and social science research. He also introduced the Kyoto Academia Forum, launched last July in Tokyo as a collaboration of Kyoto-based universities to promote the prefecture as the "home of universities".
This was followed by a lively discussion, which concluded on a high note with all in attendance having their photographs taken together.
Euro Rakuyukai members with President Yamagiwa and EVP Inaba
