Two Sylff fellows were featured at a symposium held in Tokyo to discuss the biggest challenges facing global society, consider the changes required in adapting to a digitalized world, and explore ways to develop the human resources needed to build a brighter future. The November 9 hybrid event was jointly organized by the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The session focusing on the activities of the Tokyo Foundation began with Executive Director Mari Suzuki introducing the Sylff program. She described the history of the global fellowship, launched at a time when the Cold War was nearing its end, and described the unique decentralized nature of its operations focused on developing the leaders required in each country and community.

Executive Director Mari Suzuki.

This was followed by a video introducing the Basic Concepts Program developed by Louis Benjamin (University of the Western Cape, 2001) as part of his doctoral studies. Using a Sylff Project Grant, Benjamin implemented the program from 2019 to 2022 in rural and disadvantaged communities of Northern Cape Province—one of the poorest regions of South Africa. BCP is a cognitive intervention initiative aimed at enhancing the preparedness of preschool children for early school education and beyond, and it is now being used throughout South Africa in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education and other education trusts and NPOs.

Mihoko Sakurai (Keio University, 2013) made an in-person presentation on the importance of enhanced global interaction in fostering the next generation of researchers in the digital age—drawing on her own experiences as a young scholar at US and European universities. She is an expert on information systems, particularly on how local municipalities can more effectively use digital tools to enhance community resilience in coping with natural disasters. In addition to serving as an executive research fellow and associate professor at the Global Communication Center, International University of Japan, she has recently been appointed a senior expert for disaster readiness in the Japanese government’s Digital Agency.

Mihoko Sakurai.

Pilar Valenzuela

The Sylff Association secretariat is pleased to announce another recipient of a Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) award.

Pilar Valenzuela (University of Oregon, 1995–96) is drawing on her extensive experience with and knowledge of the cultures of indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon to spearhead an effort to create an educational model for the Amahuaca people. Her SLI project will seek to prepare the indigenous community to interact with wider society while protecting their unique heritage.

Valenzuela was a Sylff fellow at the University of Oregon, from where she obtained her PhD in linguistics. She currently holds the position of a full professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Chapman University in California.

Amahuaca participants learning the alphabet.

Congratulations to Pilar Valenzuela on winning the award. Fellows who are interested in implementing a social engagement project of their own should check the SLI page for eligibility requirements and application details. We look forward to receiving many more innovative ideas for positive social change.

From left, Keita Sugai (director), Konatsu Furuya, Maki Shimada, Yumi Arai, Mari Suzuki (executive director), Chie Yamamoto, and Riaki Tanaka.

In 2023, we were pleased to reactivate the Sylff program, as most pandemic-related restrictions were lifted around the world. Sylff Association relaunched the Sylff Leadership Initiatives to help fellows address important social issues. We also ran the Sylff Research Grant for the second time, to support fellows to pursue their research.

 The Association also resumed travel abroad and visited Jadavpur University of India to celebrate its 20^th Sylff anniversary in March. We also joined the celebration of the 30^th anniversary of Jagiellonian University of Poland in October.

 In the coming year, we hope to further facilitate in-person meetings as well as support more fellows.

Every year, new changes around the world will pose both challenges and opportunities. Sylff Association will seek to respond flexibly to such changes so that we may continue to support Sylff fellows in a timely and appropriate manner.

We wish you all a safe, healthy, and happy New Year.

Here are the Sylff News articles from 2023:

Support Programs

Apr. 7
Applications for SRG and SLI to be Accepted from May 2023

May 15
SRG and SLI 2023: Call for Applications

Oct. 5
SLI Award for Project to Raise Awareness of Mental Health Issues in Mongolia

Dec. 6
SLI Awards for Project to Ensure Democratic Elections in Costa Rica

Highlights from the Sylff Community

Jun. 19
Bulgarian Fellow Receives Commendation from Japan’s Foreign Minister

Oct. 23
Celebrating Sylff’s Twentieth Anniversary at Jadavpur University

Oct. 24
Yohei Sasakawa Conferred Honorary Doctorate by the University of Belgrade

Nov. 27
Jagiellonian University Celebrates Sylff’s 30th Anniversary

Sylff@Tokyo

Jan. 19
Sylff@Tokyo: Integrating Disaster Management into Tourism Development

Feb. 8
Sylff@Tokyo: Colmex Fellow Analyzing the Zainichi Experience

May 8
Sylff@Tokyo: Athens Fellow Visits the Foundation

Jun. 2
Sylff@Tokyo: Juilliard Fellow’s Community Healing Initiatives

Jun. 9
Sylff@Tokyo: Memorable Office Concert by Juilliard Fellow

Sep. 14
Sylff@Tokyo: Integrating Love of Opera into Research on the Health Effects of Air Pollution

Nov. 10
Sylff@Tokyo: Cultivating a Global Perspective at the University of Texas at Austin

Dec. 11
Sylff@Tokyo: Developing a Network for Medical Humanities

Dec. 13
Sylff@Tokyo: Visit by the Rector of Mongolia’s National Academy of Governance

On November 30, 2023, the rector of the National Academy of Governance, Dr. Surenchimeg Dulamsuren, visited the Sylff Association. Ms. Izumi Kadono, the president of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, and Ms. Mari Suzuki, executive director, welcomed her visit.

(From left) Tokyo Foundation President Izumi Kadono, Dr. Surenchimeg Dulamsuren, and Executive Director Mari Suzuki.

Surenchimeg has had a remarkable career, having been selected as the dean of the Faculty of Linguistics and Oriental Languages at Otgontenger University at the age of 25, the youngest on record. She then moved on to create the first training division in the private sector, eventually establishing her own company dedicated to human resource development. Now, she serves as the rector of the National Academy of Governance, well known as an institution for training public servants in Mongolia. She has published over 20 books, including her representative work Teaching the Right Character.

Since her appointment as rector, the number of public-servant trainees at the National Academy of Governance has increased rapidly. In 2023, the Academy trained approximately 50,000 people. Some of the bright trainees continue their training abroad in collaboration with Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Dr. Surenchimeg was visiting Shizuoka with 10 trainees from the Academy and when she stopped by the Sylff Association.

October 2024 is the 100^th anniversary of the Academy and the Sylff Association Secretariat looks forward to celebrating it together.

Carlos Moreno-Leguizamon, a 1998-2000 Sylff fellowship recipient at Howard University, visited the Sylff Association secretariat on November 24, 2023, during his trip to Tokyo.

(From left) Executive Director Mari Suzuki, Carlos Moreno-Leguizamon, and Director Keita Sugai.

 Moreno-Leguizamon’s research interests include anthropology, communication, and health studies and systems. After completing his PhD, he served a UN-related mission in Kolkata. He has also been long engaged in research and teaching at the University of Greenwich. During his professional and academic career, he was involved in many research projects in Africa, India, and Latin America.

 Currently, Moreno-Leguizamon is looking at palliative care. He says that medical science often fails to incorporate humanity and spirituality into medical care. It is important that terminally ill patients be placed in patient-friendly environments and that care providers listen and adapt to the needs of the patient and family. He envisions developing a network for medical humanities between Japan and Colombia, where he is originally from, to promote research and activities on palliative care.

Yoko Kaburagi passed away peacefully on the morning of October 12, 2023. She joined the Tokyo Foundation in 2008 and served as Program Officer and Director for the Sylff program over 15 years. Yoko is remembered as a cheerful, energetic, enthusiastic, and friendly person by those who worked with her, including Sylff fellows and the university Sylff steering committee members, as well as her colleagues at the secretariat. The Sylff Association secretariat believes that Yoko will be long remembered for her contributions to the Sylff program and for supporting and empowering its fellows.

The Sylff Association Secretariat is pleased to announce a recent recipient of a Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) award. SLI supports Sylff fellows’ initiatives to change society for the better with awards of up to US$10,000.

The winner, chosen from among many applicants, is Mauricio Artiñano.

Artiñano, center in first row, wearing black jacket, with the project members.

Since completing his master’s in public affairs at Princeton University, Mauricio Artiñano has served in various countries as a member of United Nations Peacekeeping Operation, most recently completing a six-year assignment as part of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia.

His SLI project aims to promote democratic election practices for the nationwide municipal elections to be held in 2024 in Costa Rica. To accomplish this, Artiñano will lead an ethical pact movement that will be implemented by youth volunteers.

Congratulations to Mauricio Artiñano on winning the award. We are looking forward to supporting many more social initiatives that can lead to positive change in society.

Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, celebrated the 30^th anniversary of its Sylff Program with a ceremony on October 25, held in the historic Assembly Hall of Collegium Maius, and a seminar on October 26.

Sylff 30th Anniversary at Jagiellonian University (October 2023)

At the commemorative ceremony, opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Armen Edigarian, the University’s Vice-Rector for Education Affairs; Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation; and Prof. Paweł Laidler, Dean of the Faculty of International and Political Studies and the Chairperson of the Sylff Steering Committee.

“Today, we are not just celebrating the anniversary but also appraising the knowledge that has been generated and the changes made to the societies by Sylff fellows,” said Vice-Rector Edigarian.

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa said, “It is our pride and joy that we have been able to build our wonderful friendship with the Jagiellonian University. I sincerely hope that it will continue to play a pivotal role in further expanding the friendship between two nations.”

The participants expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the long-term commitment and support to nurture leaders as Sylff fellows, who can contribute to global society and the local community.

On the second day of the anniversary celebrations, a seminar titled “20 Months of the War in Ukraine” was held at the Faculty of International and Political Studies. Prof. Thomas Biersteker of the Geneva Graduate Institute delivered a keynote speech on the impact and implications of sanctions towards Russia. It was followed by another keynote speech by Mr. Jumpei Sasakawa, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, about the Foundation’s support for evacuees from Ukraine.

Sylff 30th Anniversary seminar at Jagiellonian University (October 2023)

Delegation members from both The Nippon Foundation and the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research enjoyed socializing with many Sylff fellows during the breaks. The seminar also featured two speakers from another Sylff institution, Charles University in Praha, Česko, which the Jagiellonian University has good networks with.

The Sylff Association secretariat is confident that our relationship with the University will continue to grow for years to come.

(From left) Rebekah Junkermeier, Debbie Carney, director Keita Sugai, and program officer Konatsu Furuya.

On October 24, 2023, Rebekah Junkermeier and Debbie Carney of the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business visited the Sylff Association secretariat to share updates about Texas fellows. Junkermeier is the director of global learning and Carney is a global engagement strategist at McCombs.

Through the Global Career Launch program, two McCombs MBA fellows led a team of undergraduate students in an internship with a local NGO providing business solutions to a small business in Oaxaca, Mexico. In the Global Connections program, five MBA fellows coordinated undergraduate courses that examined a variety of case studies, from sustainability and renewable energy in Latin America to entrepreneurship in Ghana.

Through programs like these, Junkermeier and Carney explained, the impact of the Sylff fellowship is not limited to the recipients themselves but also extends to undergraduate students at Texas. The programs also provide opportunities for transformative experiences through the exploration of other cultures and play an important role in cultivating a global perspective.

We thank Junkermeier and Carney for taking the time to visit us and look forward to receiving news of further success in the Sylff program at the University of Texas at Austin.

Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Sylff Association and The Nippon Foundation, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Belgrade. Rector Vladan Djokic conferred a Doctor Honoris Causa at a ceremony held at the Serbian embassy in Tokyo on September 29, 2023.

Sasakawa being presented with an honorary doctorate by Professor Djokic.

In her welcome speech, Aleksandra Kovač, Serbian ambassador to Japan, acknowledged the continuous efforts being made by the chairman and The Nippon Foundation to promote academic and cultural exchange between the Republic of Serbia and Japan. In 2013, Sasakawa was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit from the Republic of Serbia for his significant contributions to improving bilateral relations.

Djokic explained that the award recognizes the chairman’s longstanding involvement in nurturing leaders, beginning with the establishment of the Sylff fellowship for doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities at the University of Belgrade in 1988. He also expressed high appreciation for the support provided to fellows facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(From left) Executive Director Mari Suzuki of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, Ambassador Kovač, Rector Djokic, Chairman Sasakawa, and President Izumi Kadono of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.

In expressing his gratitude for the honorary doctorate, Sasakawa said, “It’s a great pleasure being able to contribute to deeper ties between Serbia and Japan, and I’ll continue to promote exchange and friendship between the citizens of our two countries. I also hope to develop the Sylff community into a dynamic global network of fellows who are always ready to assist each other.”