Noah (left) and Katsuhito Iwai

During this summer, Sylff fellows from various countries visited the Tokyo Foundation to meet with the Foundation’s research fellows and program officers.

Noah Smith, a PhD candidate in economics from the University of Michigan in the United States, came to Japan to undertake research on the mechanism of the bubble economy. He spoke with Katsuhito Iwai, Tokyo Foundation Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus of the Tokyo University, to learn the renowned economist’s views of the bubble economy and nature of capitalism. Noah also had a chance to meet Sota Kato, a Tokyo Foundation Senior Fellow who was formerly a lecturer at the University of Michigan’s Department of Political Science.

Yusuke Tanaka, a PhD candidate in Japanese language education at Waseda University in Japan, visited the Foundation with Roman Pasca, a former lecturer in the Japanese language at the University of Bucharest in Romania. Roman was chairman of the Romanian association of Japanese language teachers between 2008 and 2011 and is now studying for a PhD in Japanese language education at Waseda. There are very few Japanese-language specialists in Romania, so he is aiming to become a pioneer in the field. He has been a beneficiary of a Tokyo-Foundation-administered Japanese Language Program (NF-JLEP) at the University of Bucharest.

Roman (left) and Yusuke

Yusuke lived in Dalian, China, between the ages of six and eight, as his father—a high school Japanese language instructor—was dispatched there from 1989 to 1991 as part of a bilateral exchange program. He has been involved in developing Japanese language textbooks for Chinese and Korean students and taught Japanese at Fudan University in Shanghai from 2009 to 2011. Yusuke and Roman spoke with Yoko Kaburagi and Mari Suzuki—program officers for both the Sylff and NF-JLEP programs—about the future of Japanese language education in Asia and Europe and what can be done to promote it worldwide.

On July 6, 2011, an award ceremony was held at Waseda University for two new Sylff fellows selected for the 2011 academic year. The ceremony took place in a reception room with a portrait of Shigenobu Okuma, one of the founding fathers of modern Japan who also founded the university.

Waseda, located in central Tokyo, is one of three Sylff institutions in Japan. It was founded in 1882, and some 54,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend the institution today. Among them are over 3,000 foreign students, making Waseda one of the most international universities in Japan.

"The fellowships are being offered to promote outstanding research," noted Tomoki Waragai, chairman of Waseda's Sylff steering committee. "Both of you are expected to become leaders in your respective fields, and I hope that you will undertake research activities with renewed determination."

"The purpose of this fellowship is to support those who are expected to become future leaders," added Tokyo Foundation Executive Director Haruo Shibazaki. "Becoming a leader today requires a strong sense of responsibility and a commitment to overcoming difficult challenges. As was the case in recent popular uprisings in several Arab countries, young people using social media will no doubt play an increasingly central role in shaping our political destinies. In February 2001, Waseda became the sixty-second institution to join the Sylff community, and it has produced 26 fellows to date. I hope the two latest fellows will also become leaders capable of bringing positive changes to society."

The two new Waseda fellows are: 　

Chi'e Akashi, doctoral candidate, Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences 　Research topic: Archaeobotanical study of farming societies in the Trans-Caucasus 　

Makoto Seta, doctoral candidate, Graduate School of Law 　Research topic: Prosecution and punishment of pirates in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore

Sylff institutions can submit stories of their respective award ceremonies for publication on the Sylff.org website. Contact Program Officer Mari Suzuki at the Tokyo Foundation at M-Suzuki[at]tkfd.or.jp (replace [at] with @).

In June 2011 Massey University in New Zealand and the Australian School of Business of the University of New South Wales in Australia commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Sylff program at their respective institutions. The celebration brought together the four Sylff stakeholders in these countries: The Nippon Foundation, Tokyo Foundation, Sylff steering committees, and Sylff fellows. Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa, the Tokyo Foundation’s Director for Leadership Development Takashi Suzuki, and representatives of the Sylff institutions offered messages to commemorate the 20-year milestone. Continue reading →

Christina Davis, associate professor of politics and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, and a member of Princeton's Sylff steering committee, visited the Tokyo Foundation on July 5, 2011.

Davis is a specialist in trade policy and is investigating the historical process by which countries become members of international trade organizations. Her current focus is Japan's accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1955 and China's joining the World Trade Organization in 2001. On her visit to the Tokyo Foundation, she exchanged views on trade policy with several Tokyo Foundation research fellows. Continue reading →

On June 27 and 28, 2011, Professor Takeo Hoshi of the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego, visited the Tokyo Foundation. Professor Hoshi is the chairman of UCSD's Sylff steering committee.

He met with Tokyo Foundation Senior Fellow Shigeki Morinobu—an expert on tax and financial policies and local finance—and Senior Fellow Yutaka Hara, who is a specialist on the Japanese economy and financial policy. They exchanged views on Japan's economic outlook following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, approaches to reconstruction, American views of how Japan has dealt with the disaster. Continue reading →

University of California, San Diego, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this year, and its School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS), a recipient of a Sylff endowment, will soon be marking its twenty-fifth year. To mark these milestones, a "Tribute to Friends" event was held on May 26 at the UCSD Faculty Club to honor three early founding donors for IR/PS, including Sylff.

The event, held on a sunny, balmy day typical of Southern California, attracted some 100 donors, faculty members, and students who have received fellowships, including Program Officers Mari Suzuki and Tomoko Yamada from the Tokyo Foundation. Participating Sylff fellows noted that the fellowship they received at IR/PS was instrumental in enabling them to pursue their studies and has made a valuable contribution to their careers.

Dean Peter Cowhey opened the event with a warm welcome message, which was followed by performances by two student groups.

The first was a pop group calling themselves AggaPOPs, comprising students from Japan, China, and Thailand. They sang songs in English, in addition to their respective native languages. The second group was La Buena Vista del Destino Manifesto, whose members sported stylish Panama hats and performed up-tempo Latin numbers.

The two groups exemplified the international nature of the IR/PS's student body.

Dean Cowhey noted that IR/PS students were characterized not only by academic excellence but also by their many talents and deep awareness of social issues. For instance, they helped raise 20,000 dollars in donations for the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.

A video presentation was made of the IR/PS's three early founding donors, recognizing the contributions they made to research into the Asia-Pacific at a time when the region's importance to the global economy and America's international relations was growing.

In the video, Takeo Hoshi, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Professor in international economic relations who has been involved with Sylff since the beginning of the program at IR/PS, noted that the Sylff goal of developing future world leaders matches the IR/PS aim of nurturing future leaders for the Pacific Rim. Sylff was also recognized as enabling IR/PS to attract the best students: One fellow noted that the Sylff focus on leadership and public service was a major factor in her decision to study at IR/PS.

The Tokyo Foundation's Mari Suzuki then offered congratulatory remarks on behalf of President Hideki Kato and also gratefully noted the many warm messages of support, generous donations, and other assistance provided by the United States in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami.

Inasmuch as the Tokyo Foundation is a think tank dedicated to policy research as well as leadership development through programs like Sylff, she touched upon the possibility of closer contact between researchers at IR/PS and the Foundation.

The IR/PS offered a crystal globe inscribed with the names of The Nippon Foundation and Tokyo Foundation as a token of gratitude. The gift has now crossed the Pacific and graces the office of the Tokyo Foundation.

The donor event concluded with a beautiful song full of hope for the future performed by Kay-Marie Moreno, assistant to Dean Cowhey.

Click below for: Information on IR/PS Sylff fellows More photos of the donor event

Today we announce the transformation of “Sylff Connect”--the social networking service for Sylff fellows--into a version that utilizes Facebook. We have been witnessing the increasing prevalence of Facebook, both in the private and public life of individuals. We believe that there is great potential in Facebook to facilitate communication and networking within the Sylff community. Based on this notion we created the Sylff Group page in Facebook.

The Sylff Group page is an exclusive membership site aiming to facilitate multiple interactions among all members of the Sylff community. In order to use the Group page, you are kindly requested to become a member by clicking “Ask to Join Group” button of this Group page; we will verify your status as a member of Sylff community (Sylff fellow or Sylff administrator) and register you as a member of the Group. Once you become a member you can view the Wall, and share and tag “like” on the Wall. Continue reading →

On April 12, 2011, the Howard University Graduate School celebrated 20 years of endowment from the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff), donated by The Nippon Foundation and administered by the Tokyo Foundation. SYLFF fellows and alumni, as well as faculty and staff from across the Howard campus, participated in the event.

Anita Nahal, acting director of the International Affairs Program and director of the Sylff program at the Howard University Graduate School, delivered a welcome address, noting the significance of the event and emphasizing the evolution of the program, both internationally at the Tokyo Foundation and locally at Howard University. In this past year, 11 fellowships were awarded, an unusually high number due to the availability of additional funds. Also, over the last nine years, the Sylff program at Howard has held an Annual Sylff Fellows Research Seminar and published an online newsletter, Frontline (www.gs.howard.edu/financial/Sasakawa/news.htm), to increase the visibility of the fellowship on Howard’s campus. The university has awarded 65 Sylff fellowships since the inception of the program in 1991.

The welcome was followed by remarks from Charles L. Betsey, interim dean of the Howard University Graduate School. Betsey began his remarks by calling for a moment of silence for the victims and survivors of the tsunami tragedy in Japan. His remarks touched upon the importance of leadership in the world. He elaborated on the importance of the Sylff program, especially in a world where leadership is critical in diverse areas. He noted that in 1991, Howard received $1 million to fund student fellowships that would develop global leaders and solve emerging problems around the world.

Betsey stated that the Sylff fellows at Howard come from different departments, including African studies, communication and culture, economics, history, international studies, and sociology and anthropology. He noted that Sylff fellows and alumni are continuing the battle for freedom in many parts of the world, similar to those fought during the civil rights era in the United States. Thus, the Sylff fellowship remains a critical component in finding needed solutions to issues of global concern.

Following Dean Betsey’s remarks, six current Sylff fellows gave presentations, after which there was a short Q & A session. The fellows and their research topics are:

Melvin Barrolle, Department of African Studies and Research “(Re) Writing Africa into History: Thomas Narven Lewis and the Origins of the Bassa Language” Yohannes Haile, Department of African Studies and Research “Current Situation in the Horn of Africa in General and Somalia in Particular”

Marcia Headley, Department of History “Haiti and Public Opinion in the British West Indies”

Ronald Noel, Department of History “African Initiatory Rites and Secret Societies: A Statement on a Wider Triangular Study”

Lonzen Rugira, Department of African Studies and Research “The Cultural Geography of Insecurity in the African Great Lakes Region: Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo”

Chandi Sithole, Department of African Studies and Research “An Evaluation of Development in Zimbabwe (1979-2009) from the Perspective of Peace-building in Post-Conflict Societies”

One common theme that emerged from all the presentations was the identification and positioning of people across the world.

In another component of the day’s program, a special panel of Howard Sylff alumni discussed the topic, “What Is Leadership: Sylff and Us.” The panelists were Nubia Kai Al-Nura Salaam (Sylff fellow, African Studies, 2000-2002), Kari Miller (Sylff fellow, African Studies, 2008-2009), and Ada Vilageliu-Diaz (Sylff fellow, English, 2006-2008). Salaam is a poet, playwright, essayist, and novelist, and is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts at Howard University. Miller is currently assistant director of the Sub-Saharan Africa region for the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), which administers the Fulbright Scholars Program for the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Diaz is currently working on a novel and a book on Toni Cade Bambara.

Marcia Headley, current Sylff fellow and student editor of Frontline, moderated the panel discussion. Headley noted that the Howard Sylff alumni were responding to four questions, previously distributed to them. The questions revolved around the Sylff program’s emphasis on leadership. The questions were:

1. How have you epitomized leadership in your professional and personal lives? To what extent do the leadership skills that you practice result from your Sylff experience?

2. As a global citizen, which areas of contemporary global concern are you most impassioned about? How do you share your views about those issues in a positive manner with those younger than you in order to create a productive mentorship?

3. The Sylff program in Tokyo has undergone changes over time keeping in tune with changing needs of the Sylff fellows and institutions. What are your recommendations to the Tokyo Foundation on how to enable the Sylff network to infuse more interactive connections/collaborations between Sylff fellows—past, current, and future?

4. What would be your “elevator pitch” for current Sylff fellows? Any words of wisdom?

Headley read the comments of some of the alumni who were not able to be present at the occasion. For example, Ingar Johnson (Sylff fellow, Sociology, 2006-2008) stated, “As a global citizen, I am most impassioned about the contemporary global concern of cultural disconnectedness. As the global landscape changes, so do our ideas and ways of doing things. Whereas change may be good, it may also have unintended consequences. It is very important to understand the interconnectedness of our actions globally. When I speak with younger people, I ask them their concerns and in what ways might their concerns affect people in other parts of the world, as well as how they see themselves working with others to positively change the landscape at home and abroad.” Or for example, Randy Short (Sylff fellow, History, 2005-2006) stated that he tells young people to “Avail (themselves) of every opportunity to advance and learn about other people. And network always, and continually travel.”

Headley then asked the panelists to respond to any one or two of the questions.

In responding to the questions, Miller pointed to the importance of teamwork and team spirit. She noted that as a leader, seeing the strength in every team member is important. She highlighted the need to determine what is ethically and morally right and the courage it takes to do what is right rather than what one is told. She indicated that as a leader, one needs to know when to lead and when to follow, and as no man is an island, an effective leader must live together with others. She credited Sylff for pushing her to do research outside her area of specialization. Lastly, she noted that there are still other opportunities that are available to Sylff fellows and alumni and that the Sylff programs can assist in many ways in locating those opportunities.

Nubia Salaam highlighted such leadership skills as compassion and effective empowerment. In addition, she expressed the importance of traveling overseas and using the experience positively. She indicated a deep concern for the human condition, human desire, and human spirit.

Ada Vilageliu-Diaz noted that her leadership role has been to encourage youths to focus on attaining higher education. She believes that as a woman of Latino heritage with a doctorate, she is a role model for young Latinos who wish to attain higher education. She noted that the Sylff program has helped bring together women of color in shared experiences through research and travel. Fellows also stated that the Sylff celebration was an event that provided them an opportunity to present their understanding of the world through research before a community of peers and faculty and to receive scholarly advice. The evening ended with a small reception.