The University of Malaya, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary of the Sylff program. The commemorative ceremony was held on May 31, 2010, followed by a two-day seminar entitled, "Today's Young Scholars, Tomorrow's Great Leaders."

The University of Malaya was awarded the Sylff endowment in 1990. It was the 21st member to the Sylff program, and one of the first Sylff-endowed institutions in Asia. For the past 20 years, Sylff fellowships have been awarded to 57 gifted students, not only from Malaysia, but from countries such as Iran, Kosovo, Palestine, and Afghanistan, where there are no Sylff institutions.

Sylff fellows, old and new, gathered to show their appreciation. There were Sylff alumni who came all the way from Kosovo and Japan to commemorate the event. Many of the Sylff alumni of the University of Malaya now hold teaching positions at universities, or work at government agencies. "I deeply appreciate how much the Sylff fellowship helped my study," one of the participants commented. "That's why I'm here today for the celebration."

The special guests from the Sylff community also gathered for this event. Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Ms. Akiko Matsunobu, Executive Director of the Tokyo Foundation, and Sylff Steering Committee members from the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), Chiang Mai University (Thailand), and Vietnam National University came to celebrate the anniversary.

Opening remark by two Malaya Sylff fellows

Dr. Ghauth Jasmon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya, Mr. Sasakawa, and Ms. Matsunobu delivered congratulatory speeches. The multi-national, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious composition of Malaya’s Sylff fellows is representative of the "diversity” necessary to nurture future leaders who can transcend various borders and respect different values and cultures, which coincides with Sylff's mission. The huge success of the anniversary ceremony was proof of the deep commitment and leadership of the University of Malaya fellows.

In 2010, the University of Indonesia and Chiang Mai University will be also celebrating their 20th anniversary of the Sylff program. Delegates from both universities said that they were inspired by Malaya's success and will work to make their anniversary events just as successful and enjoyable.

The Tokyo Foundation would like to congratulate DUSKE, the Sylff Fellows Association of the University of Deusto, together with ALUS, the Association of Leipzig University Sylff Fellows, on their successful organization of the International Forum on “Local Initiatives to the Global Financial Crisis,” held on February 24-26, 2010, in Bilbao, Spain. Continue reading →

The Tokyo Foundation is pleased to announce updates on Sylff Plus.

Sylff Plus aims to encourage and support the initiatives of Sylff community members (current and graduated Sylff fellows, as well as Sylff steering committee members) who wish to practice/help develop leadership skills, as we expect leaders to be proactive, to work for the benefit of others, to be inclusive of people, and to be effective even in an ambiguous situation.

We are looking forward to having Sylff community members utilize these opportunities to the fullest this year!

For more information, please click here.

Sylff Association at Jadavpur University has released its fifth annual newsletter. It features articles by professor and Sylff fellows at the university, including description of activities supported by Sylff Plus. The Scholarship Division is delighted to learn and share these initiatives by Sylff fellows.

To download the fifth newsletter, please click here (PDF)

*Past newsletters are also available through the link below, http://www.jusylffprogram.org.in/NewsLetter.html

*Click here for a list of Sylff Local Associations around the world.

The Scholarship Division is pleased to help announce the call for papers for the following conference to be hosted by the University of Pécs. The University of Pécs is a beneficiary institution of Sylff in the network of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. For details, please see the following announcement provided by the conference organizers. Continue reading →

On February 27, 2010, an extremely strong earthquake struck the mid region of Chile. We at the Tokyo Foundation, and especially the Scholarship Division, would like to convey our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the people of Chile who have lost their lives or their loved ones through this immense tragedy. Continue reading →

The Scholarship Division is pleased to announce the “Global South Scholar-In-Residence Programme” on behalf of the Graduate Institute, a Sylff institutions in Geneva, Switzerland. Continue reading →

A Sylff fellow at the American University in Cairo, Ms. Ethar El-Katatney, won the Anna Lindh Mediterranean Journalist Award 2009 for her article “Identity Crisis 101,” published in Egypt Today. She is currently pursuing two graduate degrees from the university, an MBA and an MA in television and digital journalism, while traveling and writing as a journalist. Below is her report on the award ceremony of the award that took place on November 5, 2009, in Monaco.

Winners with Prince Albert II of Monaco and André Azoulay, president of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation

(By Ethar El-Katatney)

Receiving an award for doing something you love is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. Receiving an incredibly prestigious award in an incredibly fancy hotel in a ceremony attended by the Prince of Monaco is even more so.

With Mr. Andreu Claret, the Executive Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation

I just won the Economics and Business Award in CNN’s African Journalist of the Year competition last July—the first Egyptian to do so. So to win an award three months later that is just as prestigious—the print category of the Anna Lindh Journalism award—is mind-blowing.

I spent two days before the ceremony exploring Monaco and the Cote d’Azur, visiting some of most beautiful places I’ve ever had the chance to travel to. But although I had time to reflect upon the upcoming ceremony, it was more incredible than anything I could have imagined. To begin with, it was at the Hermitage hotel—a hotel I’d seen while I trooped around the casino square several times. A seriously elegant, lavish, and intimidating hotel. In the ballroom I was taken aback to see that all the seats were full. When I inquired who was attending I was told many were ambassadors. It was then I suddenly realized that I was going to go up there in front of people who hadn’t even read my article, and that they would be judging me based on what I said. And that I was going to be representing my gender, country, and faith. No pressure.

Giving a speech

But I took a deep breath, went up to get my award, said my piece, and thankfully the audience seemed to like it.

I told them that the idea for my article, "Identity Crisis 101", initially came out of my own experiences. I was born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Egypt, and educated in western schools. Consequently, the way I look at my culture and society is different. So from there I thought: if I, who wasn’t even a ‘real’ halfie, had difficulties integrating in Egyptian society, what about Egyptians who are raised abroad? Or have a non-Egyptian parent? What difficulties do they face? What advantages do they have over normal Egyptians? And that was my story. Listening to the other winners talk about their stories was so very inspiring. As was meeting the Prince and having him congratulate us. After the ceremony came a TV interview and then a dizzying amount of praise and congratulations. It’s such a heady feeling. People tell you you’re so incredible, poised, articulate, amazing, you’re only 22?! etc., and part of you is staggered, going “you have me confused with someone else,” but another part is elated at getting recognition. I had directors, CEOs and ambassadors shower praise upon me. Women, old men, young guys. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget having four French college students surround me and hang onto my every word. They told me they managed to get tickets to attend, how amazed they were, how I inspired them, and asked me for advice. Someone told me my speech made her cry. The editor of the Financial Times told me my story could grace the pages of any news outlet in the world.

With other winners

It was a whirlwind couple of hours. The thing that’s hitting me now is what you don’t realize when you’re dreaming of success: that more success is great, but it’s also bad, in a sense. Success means you have to work even harder. It means more people are looking at you. Expecting more of you. Success means that you put even higher goals for yourself. It means I want to work even harder. I look around at my life and I am so, so grateful. I just hope I can live up to what people think of me. This was an amazing experience. Elhamdulela.

Ethar’s article "Identity Crisis 101": click here

Ethar’s full archive, click here

When questioned by his students and colleagues as to why the international university had to be located in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, a rural area enclosed by mountains and ocean on the island of Kyushu—the most southwestern of the four main islands of Japan—difficult to associate with the concept of “internationalization,” Dr. Monte Cassim,

APU Campus in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture

President of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Japan, made his first pledge, responding then with conviction that, “I will bring the world to the feet of our students.” He did indeed: world-renowned people including Nobel Prize laureates, heads of state, and captains of industries were invited to provide exemplary speeches to his students. And this time, he has brought another world to them—the world of Sylff. Continue reading →