The Sylff Association secretariat is grateful to all fellows who have shared their experiences, thoughts, and messages concerning COVID-19 through their video clips. They provide new insights into what people in different countries have been experiencing and offer clues to how we can overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.
There are many fellows who expressed a wish to deliver their messages but were unable do so due to the difficulties caused by the pandemic.
We have thus decided to extend the deadline for COVID Vlog submissions to February 28, 2022. The resurgence of cases and the spread of the Omicron variant are causes of fresh concern, and the need for emotional support has increased. We hope that many more fellows will take this chance to share a video message through this project. Your message will help others overcome the difficulties they are facing in these uncertain times.
Please read the complete instructions (Video Sharing Instructions_updated Dec 13, 2021) before you share your videos.
After providing “COVID-19 Relief for Sylff Fellows 2021,” members of the Sylff Association secretariat were left with the impression that while most of us were familiar with the situation in our own country and region, we were reliant on the media for information about other areas. We longed to hear the voices of people from around the world that would give us a clearer idea of and deeper insights into how the pandemic was affecting their lives.
This was the impetus behind our decision to create a platform for Sylff fellows to share their COVID-related thoughts and firsthand experiences through short video messages. We are hoping to receive up to 100 video clips, including from graduated fellows. They do not have to focus on your field of specialization, but we hope you will include a message to help other fellows cope with COVID-related issues. The videos will be published as “COVID Vlogs” in the Voices from the Sylff Community section of the Sylff website. The deadline for submission is December 10, 2021.
We hope that the vlogs will help fellows connect with other fellows, creating a sense of community and a feeling that the difficulties caused by the pandemic can be overcome by working together. The project is an opportunity for fellows to express themselves and show compassion. We are looking forward to your receiving your videos.
The following is the outline of the instructions for video sharing.
Please read the complete instructions (PDF) before you share your videos.
Creating Your Video
LENGTH: 2 minutes or less
CONTENT: Your message should include the following three topics:
Short self-introduction, such as your name, affiliation, research area, or activities
Topic related to COVID-19, such as the current situation where you live, how the pandemic has affected you, or your thoughts on the coronavirus, either from a specialist or personal point of view
Message to encourage other fellows around the world. Non-verbal messages, such as a musical performance, are also welcome.
A TITLE of your video message: Maximum of 12 English words
A VISUAL IMAGE to be used as a thumbnail on the Sylff website: JPEG, GIF, or PNG file format; at least 343 × 245 pixels; and a horizontal aspect ratio of 1.4:1
BIO: If you don’t have a profile page on the Sylff website yet, send a brief bio and portrait photo (a head shot, preferably of over 350 × 350 pixels). A profile template is available at https://www.sylff.org/fellows/. A link to your video will be also posted on your profile page.
How to Share
Submit your videos through Google Drive only. Please do not send by email.
First create a folder containing the video, visual image, short bio, and portrait photo. Be sure the name of the folder and each file contains your name and the name of your Sylff institution (e.g., James White_ABC University) so we know who submitted the data.
Type in the title of your video in the “Message” section of Google Drive. Refer to the complete instructions (PDF) for details.
Please note that the business edition of Google Workspace used to receive your videos has enhanced data protection and security.
Miscellaneous
By submitting your video, you agree that the Sylff Association secretariat may use your video for the purpose of promoting the Sylff Program, such as by uploading it on the Sylff YouTube channel and featuring it in other promotional media owned by the Sylff Association secretariat.
The copyright belongs to the video producer. The Sylff Association secretariat will remove the video from the Sylff website and other media channels if the video producer expresses such a wish, in writing, to the secretariat.
The Sylff Association secretariat reserves the right not to publish videos that are deemed to show lack of tolerance for any group on the basis of their race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, culture, or disability.
It is the video producer’s responsibility to obtain permission, when required, for the use of materials created by others, including visual images.
Inquiries
Please send email with [COVID Vlog] in the subject line to:
covid-vlog@sylff.org
*This email address is used to receive your videos.
Do NOT send your data to sylff@tkfd.or.jp.
The Sylff Association secretariat is pleased to announce that COVID-19 Relief for 2021 has been provided to 287 fellows in 53 countries to cover their living expenses for about 3.5 months.
The monthly living expenses of each country were calculated, in principle, on the basis of either figures provided by Sylff steering committees last year or, if applicants were no longer enrolled there, the cost of living indexes of widely used external sources. Due to budget limitations, an upper limit was set for countries with high price levels.
Relief funds were transferred directly to each qualifying applicant from the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research by the end of August 2021.
We hope that the relief funds will make a real difference in helping fellows continue their studies and research or enabling recent and soon-to-be graduates to overcome unexpected financial difficulties caused by the pandemic.
The Sylff Association is pleased to announce the launch of a revised Sylff Research Abroad (SRA) support program for Sylff fellows in fiscal 2021 (ending March 31, 2022). Considering that some international borders remain closed and global travel restrictions are still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are making a call for applications for SRA projects that do not require fellows themselves to travel overseas.
SRA without Overseas Travel awards will help fellows to conduct academic research related to their doctoral dissertations in a foreign country through alternative strategies, such as hiring local research assistant(s) or organizing virtual meetings. It will provide grants of up to US$3,000 to each successful applicant.
The Sylff Association secretariat is pleased to announce that members of the Sylff community donated a total of 146,000 yen (approximately US$1,330)* in 2021 to support Sylff fellows affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The online fundraising system to accept donations via credit card will be closed on June 30, 2021.
The donations will be used not only to help fellows continue their studies and research but also to financially support recent and soon-to-be graduates who have experienced significant and unexpected disruptions to their career plans due to the pandemic. The secretariat believes that the support offered by the Sylff community will also offer encouragement and cultivate a sense of belonging under these difficult times.
This support scheme is intended to alleviate the financial difficulties faced by currently enrolled and recently graduated Sylff fellows due to the pandemic.
We are now accepting applications through the online application form on the Sylff website. Please carefully read the Call for Applications for information on who is eligible and what applicants will need to submit. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. May 24, 2021 (Japan Standard Time).
We are also seeking donations to help finance the support scheme. Donations may be made through an online system using credit cards or via wire transfer. For details, please visit How to Give.
We hope that all members of the Sylff Association and others affiliated with Sylff institutions will join the fundraising campaign to help young fellows overcome this difficult situation.
(Notes)
*1. We have revised the eligibility criteria for “Category 1” applicants on April 16, 2021, so that fellows who are currently taking a leave of absence from a degree program due to the pandemic can apply.
*2. The Call for Applications may be updated occasionally in accordance with changing conditions. Please check the revision date to make sure that you are referring to the latest version.
*3. Check the COVID-19 Relief program page for information on the overall progress being made to process applications and transfer relief funds.
The Sylff Association secretariat has set up a new financial support scheme for fellows whose efforts to earn a degree or enter the workforce have been negatively affected by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.
Unlike COVID-19 relief provided in 2020, whose recipients were limited to fellows who were then enrolled in a graduate program, this new support will also be offered to applicants who have already earned a degree (in or after March 2020) but have yet to find employment.
Surveys of Sylff fellows and Sylff steering committee members conducted last year showed that many fellows, particularly current fellows whose academic period was extended and were looking for work opportunities, were facing financial difficulties.
COVID-19 Relief for Fellows 2021 is thus designed to not only help fellows to continue their studies and research but also financially support recent and soon-to-be graduates who have experienced significant and unexpected disruptions to their career plans due to the pandemic.
A lump sum to cover living expenses for up to six months will be provided to eligible fellows who apply. (The actual amount will be determined by the secretariat, depending on the total number of applicants.)
All eligible fellows are encouraged to apply to mitigate their financial anxieties during the pandemic.
Online applications will open in mid- or late April 2021. Follow the link to view details of application requirements.
The award is a new initiative launched by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in response to the urgent need to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting trade and trade policy.
“I’m deeply humbled and honored to be the first recipient of this award,” Socrates commented. The “findings are important towards understanding the impact of the measures adopted by governments worldwide during the COVID-19 period on international trade.”
Congratulations to Socrates on winning this prestigious award, and we wish him even greater success in the future.
View video message from Sylff Association Chairman Yohei Sasakawa to all members of the Sylff community.
The year 2020 was one in which the world struggled to cope with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the Sylff Association secretariat launched an initiative called “COVID-19 Relief for Sylff Fellows,” even as applications for regular support programs had to be suspended.
The relief initiative provided financial support to 328 currently enrolled Sylff fellows from 56 Sylff institutions, enabling them to continue their studies and research toward their degrees. In a show of unity, about 30 members of the sylff community donated a total of more than US$13,000 for this initiative.
We will continue to do our utmost to support Sylff fellows during these challenging times. Please visit the Sylff website for announcements of new initiatives and programs.
We wish you all a healthy and safe 2021
Middle row, from left, Mari Suzuki (executive director, Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research), Sylff Association Chairman Yohei Sasakawa, Izumi Kadono (president, Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research), Ichiro Kabasawa (executive director, Nippon Foundation). Top row, Masato Seko (senior program director, Nippon Foundation), Keita Sugai (director), Yoko Kaburagi (director). Bottom row, Sachiko Matsuoka, Yue Zhang, Tomoko Yamada, and Yumi Arai.
The Sylff Association secretariat organized an online ceremony to confirm new fellows in China and hear presentations by one representative each from the 10 Sylff institutions in the country. The institutions are Fudan, Jilin, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Peking, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Sun Yat-sen Universities. Reports were also made by board and steering committee members.
Among the guests invited to the meeting were newly appointed General Secretary of China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) Wang Yongli and other association members. The CEAIE works with the Sylff Association secretariat to help the 10 Chinese Sylff institutions implement and improve the Sylff program at each institution.
An online meeting of Sylff Association members in China and Tokyo.
Chairman Yohei Sasakawa of the Sylff Association and The Nippon Foundation thanked the universities in his opening remarks for soundly and prudently implementing the Sylff program since its launch in China in 1992 (at the first five universities above) and 1994 (at the other five). Noting the country’s tremendous growth over the past three decades, he emphasized the need to update the Sylff program to match the current state of China’s society and economy, calling for the generous provision of fellowship to a few, exceptional students, rather than smaller stipends to a large number of fellows.
Chairman Sasakawa making his opening remarks.
Wang Yongli concurred, saying that the CEAIE will cooperate with the 10 institutions toward the goal of making the Sylff program in China more selective.
Mari Suzuki, a member of the Sylff Association secretariat and Executive Director of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, encouraged Sylff fellows to participate actively in the global Sylff community by taking full advantage of the support programs and networking initiatives offered by the secretariat.
A presentation by General Secretary Wang.
Representatives from the 10 institutions then explained their selection procedures and results for 2020, with all institutions confirming that the process was competitive, fair, open, and rigid. This was followed by presentations by one Sylff fellow each from the 10 universities. They detailed their academic and social engagement achievements to date and vowed to make a contribution to society in the future.
The fellows were all outstanding students, many of them being recipients of governmental and other global fellowships. The Nanjing fellow was a poet and read one of his works during the meeting. And the fellow from Sun Yat-sen related an episode of having worked as a volunteer at a Hansen’s disease facility. Others echoed Sylff’s founding concept of regarding the world as one family, with all of humankind being brothers and sisters, and of taking the initiative to promote international understanding and world peace.
The ceremony will continue to be held annually to strengthen ties among all stakeholders involved in the operation of the Sylff program in China.
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