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…
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…
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…
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,…
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?…
Author: Inge Odendaal In the past year, the debate over artificial intelligence (AI) has shifted from whether to regulate[1] it to how to regulate it effectively. Governments worldwide are grappling with the challenge of establishing regulations that can keep pace with the rapid developments in AI, respect state sovereignty, and establish international norms and practices.…
Stellenbosch University Japan Centre (SUJC) is pleased to host Prof. Sadaharu Kataoka, professor in the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University in Tokyo. He is spending a period of six months as visiting professor at Stellenbosch University and as guest of the Centre. Prof. Kataoka has been teaching African Politics and European Affairs…
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…