Author: Gerhard van Niekerk This article draws on research presented at a Research Forum on Japanese Industry and Development in Africa, organised by Stellenbosch University Japan Centre and made possible by support by the Toshiba International Foundation. The virtual forum, held on the 26th and 29th of January 2024, focused on the role of Japanese…
Author: Gerhard van Niekerk
Earth from Space – Japan in AutumnImage captured from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus-Sentinel 3 mission in November 2023(Source: Wikimedia Commons) The geopolitics of space This article follows on an earlier discussion of the key milestones in Japan’s development of its space programme[i] and considers the wider geopolitical context within which this programme is pursued…
Tanegashima Space Center in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture Author: Gerhard van Niekerk Broadly, the Japenese space programme began in the 1950s, initiated by Hideo Itokawa, or ‘Dr Rocket’, at the University of Tokyo. Initially characterised by numerous rocket launch failures (as was common among all newcomers to this industry), Japan achieved the construction of over 15-metre…
Crowd cheering at the opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup Author: Gerhard van Niekerk On Friday, the 8th of September, the Rugby World Cup 2023 kicked off in Paris, France, four years on from arguably one of the most successful rugby world cups ever hosted – in Japan. When discussing international test match…
Author: Gerhard van Niekerk On the 14th of August 2023, Stellenbosch University Japan Centre (SUJC) co-hosted with SU’s Division for Research Development (DRD), an information session on research collaboration and funding opportunities with Japan. The event hosted experts and officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and…