Blog
Fri
24
Aug
2018
JICA President's Visit to Our Office
The President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr. Shinichi KITAOKA, came to Lusaka, Zambia and visited our office.
Dr. KITAOKA visited the School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia (SVM-UNZA), where there has been a long and strong relationship with JICA since its establishment. After the Dean of SVM-UNZA, Prof. King S. NALUBAMBA and other senior staff at SVM-UNZA welcomed him, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Enala T. MWASE, brought him to our office. Our Director, Prof. Masahiro OKUMURA explained our activities, especially about the Study-in-Japan Global Network Project and appreciated the great support from SVM-UNZA.
Dr. KITAOKA also visited other offices related to Hokkaido University in SVM-UNZA, namely, the Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, the Project for Visualization of Impact of Chronic/Latent Chemical Hazard and Geo-Ecological Remediation in Zambia (KAMPAI Project) Office, and the Project for Surveillance of Viral Zoonoses in Africa Office.
We were so privileged to have him at our office and were able to reconfirm that our activities are important for sub-Saharan Africa and Japan.
Cf) The Article about JICA President's Visit to Zambia in the Website of JICA
Wed
11
Jul
2018
International Education Expo “Back to School Ethiopia 2018”
The 2nd Round International Education Expo “Back to School Ethiopia 2018” was held at Exhibition Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during 6th – 11th July 2018. We, Hokkaido University Africa Office in Lusaka, attended this event from 6th to 9th July, where we had a booth and promoted the study-in-Japan program.
This event was organized by the Noosphere Affairs Trading PLC and around 30 exhibitors included universities and companies related to education such as bookshops and coaching school. We also saw some youth groups which are innovating telecommunication tools by producing apps for the betterment of their education and development.
Among the participants of this event, around 330 people visited our booth and received some information about the study-in-Japan program. We also managed to introduce our activities at TV and Radio programs in Ethiopia and held a seminar for study-in-Japan at this event.
We wish our participation will influence the future of Ethiopia in a good way.
cf) Facebook for "Back to School Ethiopia"
Thu
22
Mar
2018
UNZA Japanese Language Credit Course Has Started
Finally, the Japanese Language Credit Course, entitled “Introductory Japanese Grammar” has started at the University of Zambia (UNZA). This course is an elective course for a whole year with classes being held for one hour on each day from Monday to Thursday. Although the closure of UNZA due to the cholera break disturbed the syllabus since January 2018, we have succeeded in receiving a new teacher trained in professional Japanese language teaching, Mrs. Akemi YASUHARA. She was dispatched by one of the private associations, called ICEA. UNZA has asked her to support the Japanese Language Credit Course. We have also requested her to teach the Japanese Language Short Course that has been running from the beginning as well as to give teaching instructions to UNZA staff at the Department of Literature and Languages, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, where there is a plan to make a Japanese minor course.
On 16th March, we had the first meeting with students for the credit course and from 19th March the course started. Some of the attendants, those who had already taken the Japanese Language Short Course at UNZA, seem to be full of joy to join this credit course. Others, those who have just started to learn Japanese language, also seem to enjoy the new world. The number of students is not so high but we are confident that they are burning with the desire to learn Japanese language.
We are grateful that Mrs. YASUHARA came this way to Zambia and we also thank the Department of Literature and Languages for having made this great effort to have the Japanese Language Credit Course started.
Thu
07
Dec
2017
Meeting with Shimizu Corpoation-Japan
Today, our office, in conjunction with International Link Office, the University of Zambia (UNZA), organized a meeting at the boardroom of School of Engineering, UNZA, for the purpose of introducing Shimizu Corporation, one of the construction companies in Japan, and the company’s overseas corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to UNZA.
The meeting was presided by Prof. Levy SIAMINWE on behalf of the Dean of School of Engineering and was attended by members of staff as follows: 3 from Shimizu Corporation; 11 from School of Engineering; 1 from International Link Office and 2 from our office. After self-introductions, Mr. Masami HIGUCHI, Regional Head for the Turkey Africa &Middle East, Shimizu Corporation, explained one of their CSR activities, Shimizu Open Academy (SAO). SAO is a series of seminars for university students abroad that has been carried out by the corporation since 2012, in order to arouse people’s interest in the field of infrastructure development by introducing latest topics such as “Advanced Construction Technologies” based on the experiences in their actual construction business or activities. Currently, Shimizu Corporation is planning to extend this activity to the Africa region, and Zambia is selected as one of their first target countries because of the long history they have had in Zambia.
In response to Shimizu Corporation’s idea, many expectations and questions came up from staff of School of Engineering. At the end of the meeting, Prof. SIAMINWE told that Vice Chancellor of UNZA also expected this opportunity to contribute to the development of UNZA and the students would definitely benefit from this event.
We hope the establishment of the relationship between School of Engineering, UNZA, and Shimizu Corporation would bring better future for UNZA and Zambia.
Fri
08
Sep
2017
Attendance at the 9th International Toxicology Symposium in Africa
The 9th International Toxicology Symposium in Africa was held at the Constantial Hotel & Suites, Benin City in Nigeria during 7th-8th September, 2017. Considering the attendance by many scholars from different universities and other institutions in Africa, with good experiences of academic collaboration with Japan, one of the study abroad coordinators from our office, Dr. Noriko NARISAWA attended this symposium to introduce our office and request support to our activities.
The aim of this symposium was to carry out scientific discussions on the current situation of environmental pollution and other toxicological topics in African countries. The topics in this symposium were based on the biological effects of the environmental pollutants such as DDT, PCB and heavy metals. The presenters at this symposium originated from 15 universities and 4 institutions from 9 African countries as follows: University of Benin (Nigeria), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), University of Lagos (Nigeria), University of Jos (Nigeria), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (Nigeria), Federal University of Petroleum Resources (Effurun, Nigeria), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), University of Yaounde I (Cameroon), University of Ngaoundere (Cameroon), University of Gezira (Sudan), Hawassa University (Ethiopia), University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), University of Zambia (Zambia), University of Johannesburg (South Africa), Zagazig University (Egypt), Department of Petroleum Resources (The Petroleum Regulatory Agency of Nigeria), Hydrochrom Resources Limited (Nigeria), National Veterinary Research Institute (Vom, Nigeria), Agricultural Research Corporation (Sudan).
At the end of the symposium, Dr. NARISAWA had a presentation to briefly introduce the Coordinator for Study-in-Japan Project. And during the welcome reception before the symposium and the Banquet after the symposium, she had a great opportunity to discuss with professors from Africa on promoting academic and student exchange between their universities and Japanese universities. She also had individual consultations with young scholars from Africa on the prospects of studying in Japan.
This symposium was jointly hosted by University of Benin in Nigeria and Hokkaido University in Japan, and sponsored by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). We greatly appreciate all the support from the symposium coordinators, Prof. Mayumi ISHIZUKA and Prof. Yoshinori IKENAKA from the Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, and Prof. Lawrence I.N. Ezemonye from the Department of Animal and Environment Biology, University of Benin together with other participants who warmly welcomed our staff to participate in this momentous occasion.
Fri
08
Sep
2017
Attendance at the 5th East Africa Japanese Language Education Conference
The 5th East Africa Japanese Language Education Conference was held at the Embassy of Japan in Madagascar during 6th–8th September, 2017. Since our office has supported the establishment and management of the University of Zambia (UNZA) Japanese Course, one of our staff, Dr. Midori DAIMON attended this conference with Dr. Sande NGALANDE, Lecturer of the UNZA Japanese Course.
During the conference, we had a wonderful and exciting discussion with several people who study and teach Japanese language in Africa, specifically, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Among the participants were teachers at university, high school and private lessons, JICA volunteers and students who are expected to teach Japanese language, soon. Some of them were not Japanese but indigenous Africans, whose Japanese proficiency impressed us very much.
At the three days conference, we held two (2) workshops on how to teach “reading” and how to make our own materials for teaching Japanese language and shared 14 presentations on the challenges and improvements of the Japanese language course and skills in respective countries. Our office staff, Dr. DAIMON presented the possibilities of teaching Japanese language and culture which brings the mind to think seriously about studying in Japan although the UNZA Japanese course does not provide sufficient course content for students to acquire the Japanese language proficiency required to study in Japanese. Dr. NGALANDE had a presentation on the challenges of the UNZA Japanese course and received many comments and advice from the audience.
At the end of the conference, we had a meeting and discussed how we are going to improve the Japanese language education in Africa. After the conference, a cocktail party was held at the residence of Japanese Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Ichiro OGASAWARA, who gives a great support to the Japanese language education in Madagascar.
This conference was funded by the Japan Foundation and organized by Japanese Language Teacher’s Association in Madagascar. We greatly appreciate their support and the tremendous effort of all the participants. We are confident that the network which we made in this conference will inspire the UNZA Japanese course and result into further improvement.
Mon
28
Aug
2017
UNZA Japanese Course Cultural Exchange Event 2017
We are glad to inform you that we introduced the UNZA Japanese Course Cultural Exchange Event 2017 on 28th August at Confucius Institute in the University of Zambia. This event was organized by the UNZA Japanese Course, and co-organized by the Lecture ‘Fieldwork for Asian & Africa Studies’ (Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Hiroshima Jogakuin University) and our office, Hokkaido University Africa Office in Lusaka.
We had a good time together with six female students from Hiroshima Jogakuin University and other Japanese attendants including the Secretary from the Embassy of Japan in Zambia as well as Zambian participants who have an interest in Japan.
After the opening remarks by Dr. Hambaba JIMAIMA, Head of Department of Literature and Languages, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Zambia, the students from Hiroshima Jogakuin had a presentation about Japanese culture especially, urban culture in Hiroshima, one of the most well-known cities in Japan. Their presentation attracted a Zambian audience, who asked many questions and also enjoyed some snacks served by the students.
Following this presentation, we had a Japanese speech contest attended by five UNZA Japanese Course students. Their speech performance which included pictures and videos gave the audience a wonderful time. All the speakers were congratulated and given the special bag of Hokkaido University by Dr. JIMAIMA, Dr. Sande NGALANDE, Lecturer who is in charge of the UNZA Japanese Course, and Ms. Keiko NAKAI, one of the Japanese language teachers. The best and second performers received the certificates and key holder as the prize of this first commemorable Japanese speech contest.
At the end of the event, two students from Hiroshima Jogakuin University showed Japanese martial arts performance, Karate, which excited all the participants. We hope this event did open the door to improve our relationship between Zambia and Japan.
Sun
27
Aug
2017
Botswana Consumer Fair 2017
The Botswana Consumer Fair 2017, organized by Fairground Holdings, was held in Gaborone, Botswana, during 21st-27th August 2017. We, the Study Abroad coordinators from Hokkaido University Africa Office in Lusaka, participated at this event on 26th and 27th August where we promoted the Study-in-Japan program. Among the participants at this event, those who visited our booth were more than 200 people who included university and high school students as well as parents and working adults.
At our booth a lecturer from University of Botswana and a researcher from Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, who had studied in Japan, supported our promotion activities. They explained how transparent it is to get opportunities for studying in Japan and narrated their wonderful and fruitful experiences that enabled them to get the required knowledge and skills for contribution to the social economic development of Botswana. This information attracted many attendants to come and listen at our booth. We are grateful to their assistance and collaboration.
We also appreciate all the support from the Embassy of Japan in Botswana, which assisted our activities in Botswana. We will make use of information and network which we received in Botswana to improve the promotion of the Study-in-Japan program.
Mon
07
Aug
2017
Agricultural and Commercial Show 2017 in Zambia
The Agricultural and Commercial Show was held at the Show Grounds in Lusaka, Zambia during 2th-7th August 2017. We, Hokkaido University Africa Office in Lusaka, participated at this event on the weekends (5th to 7th) where we made a booth within the University of Zambia (UNZA) space and promoted the study-in-Japan program.
This show, which started in 1919, was organized by the Agricultural and Commercial Show Society of Zambia. The exhibitors included not only those from governmental organizations and companies in Zambia but also from other countries. We found many traders who came to exhibit including some from as far as Ghana and a large number of show goers who enjoyed the show including children.
Among the participants of this event, around 130 people visited our booth and received some information about the study-in-Japan program. We appreciate all the support to our promotion activity from UNZA, especially the International Link Office and UNZA Radio.
Fri
28
Jul
2017
UNAM Career and Employment Expo 2017
The Career and Employment Expo 2017, organized by the University of Namibia (UNAM), was held at the Gym Hall, UNAM, in Windhoek, Namibia during 27th-28th July 2017. We, the study abroad coordinators from Hokkaido University Africa Office in Lusaka, participated at this event where we promoted the study-in-Japan program. Among the participants of this event, a total of 160 university and high school students visited our booth.
This time we also held a small seminar, in addition to putting posters showing information on the study-in-Japan program and provision of brochures and consultation, as was the case last year. Our seminar showed how attractive it was to study in Japan and how the study-in-Japan program is put into practice. The seminar was also attended by Ms. Kaoru YOKOTANI, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Namibia, who explained about the Japanese government scholarship (MEXT Scholarship). Our seminar attracted the participation of 18 university and high school students who had interest in the study-in-Japan program.
We appreciate all the support for our activities in Namibia and wish our promotion in this event brings a new view to Namibian students.