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Second JICA Chair lecture hosted by Stellenbosch University

Author: Daniel Bugan Prof Yoichi Mine, Executive Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, on 29 February 2024 delivered the second JICA Chair lecture at Stellenbosch University (SU). His lecture, entitled “Journeys for Human Security: Dynamics of Migration in Africa”, was hosted by SU’s Japan Centre…

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6th South Africa-Japan University Forum – Call for Proposals

The 6th South Africa-Japan University Forum (SAJU 6) will take place in Stellenbosch on 27-29 August 2024. The theme of the Forum is Fostering Sustainable Partnerships in Research, Innovation and Impact. The Joint Organising Committee invites proposals from academics and researchers, students, university administrators, practitioners, representatives from government and research funding institutions, and stakeholders from…

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Japanese Language Course (N4) – Applications Now Open

Stellenbosch University Japan Centre (SUJC) in association with the Japanese Language Club of South Africa (JLCSA) are delighted to invite you to apply for an online JLPT N4 (Upper Beginners Level) Japanese language course at Stellenbosch University. In this course, students will learn:  * Informal speech* Honorific and extra modest speech* Express thoughts and opinions*…

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Stellenbosch University Japan Centre Word from the Director

Word from our Director

The principal goal of Stellenbosch University Japan Centre (SUJC) is to promote Japanese and Japan Studies at the university through research, teaching and other academic collaboration with partners in Japan, elsewhere on the African continent, and internationally. The centre also aims to enhance knowledge and cultural exchange on a broader basis by means of public…

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Japan-Africa Young Scholars Initiative – Cohort of 2023

Since April this year, SUJC has been running an intern and mentorship programme aimed at cultivating a next generation of scholars and researchers on Japan and Japan-Africa relations. The Japan-Africa Young Scholars Initiative is supported by a grant from the Toshiba International Foundation. A dynamic team makes up the 2023 cohort of young scholars. They…

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Interview: Dr. Shinichi KITAOKA

Author: Sue Segar Japan has achieved modernisation and industrialisation from the 19th to the 20th century and the challenges it faced were similar to those currently faced by developing countries. For this reason, Japan –the world’s first country to modernise from a non-Western background – has much to offer in terms of its experience and lessons to…

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Japan Joins the Race for the Moon

Author: Cüneyt Aksoy On September 6, 2023, Japan successfully launched its H-IIA rocket carrying the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Moon lander. This successful launch came after previous three attempts in 2023, which were cancelled due to unfavourable weather conditions.[1] The H-IIA, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, JAXA’s most reliable rocket with just one failure…

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A Brief Overview of Japan’s Space Programme

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…

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SUJC Hosts Inaugural JICA Chair Lecture

Dr. Shinichi Kitaoka presents the inaugural JICA Chair lecture at Stellenbosch, 11 October 2023 Author: Anél Lewis Adding another milestone to its longstanding collaboration with Japan, Stellenbosch University (SU), through its Japan Centre, has hosted the first Chair lecture of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to be held in South Africa. Dr. Shinichi Kitaoka,…

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Cool Japan, Soft Power, and The Commodification of a National Identity

Author: Jacques Quass de Vos Anime, sushi, city pop, and Pokémon: what do these Japanese things have in common? The answer is rather clear, right? Add the likes of Mitsui, Hitachi, Sony, and Toyota to the list. Now include JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization). How about the 2020 Olympics?…