JICUF Student Ambassadors Interview Grant Recipients: Part 1
To commemorate the opening of our Japan office on the ICU campus, JICUF held a series of opening events in mid-May. One of the events was a showcase of JICUF grant projects. We asked our student ambassadors to interview the participants. Please enjoy below the interviews conducted by Aruto Kamiya. Aruto Kamiya (Photo by Naoki Beppu) 1. “Anthropological Fieldwork and Engaged Population: Organic Involvement with Isen Town, Tokunoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture” Professor Mie Moriki (Anthropology) Aruto: You conducted anthropological fieldwork on Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. How was the experience? Prof. Moriki: Because our visit was during the typhoon season, our ferry to Tokunoshima got delayed for 10 days! We had to […]
JICUF Grantee Spotlight: 2024 Japan Israel Palestine Student Conference
In the 2023-24 winter term, ICU undergraduate student Shiho Takechi was awarded a JICUF grant on behalf of the Japan Israel Palestine Student Conference (JIPSC). ICU students played a key role in founding JIPSC in 2003, and for over 20 years, JIPSC has facilitated dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian students and raised awareness of the Israel-Palestine conflict in Japan. This year, with the region in a crisis, JIPSC plans to invite eight youth from both Israel and Palestine to Japan. While the JICUF grant will cover a part of their travel expenses to Japan, JIPSC is fundraising to cover the remainder of the cost.
Celebrating the Opening of the JICUF Office at ICU!
During the week of May 13 – 17, JICUF hosted a series of events at ICU to celebrate the opening of our office on campus! The events included three days of an office open house, a grants showcase, a discussion about JICUF and ICU’s history and vision for the future, and a special evening reception for the ICU community. We are delighted to report that the ICU community welcomed JICUF with open arms.
JICUF Participates in UNHCR Annual Meeting in Geneva
From June 5 to 7, JICUF participated in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s annual gathering in Geneva, Switzerland. The Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways is UNHCR’s most important multilateral forum, and delegates from 44 countries came together to discuss urgent issues in refugee protection.
Introducing the 2024-25 JICUF Student Ambassadors
We are very excited to introduce our first JICUF Student Ambassadors! The three Ambassadors will be working closely with our Japan Office to disseminate opportunities offered by JICUF to students and faculty, to implement JICUF events and programs, and to report on JICUF-funded activities. They will also be asked to come up with unique ideas to strengthen the ICU community, with the aim of creating an even more welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds.
JICUF Japan Office Will Hold Opening Events in May
To celebrate the historic opening of JICUF’s Japan office, JICUF President & CEO Paul Hastings will visit the campus in May to host a series of special events with Hideko Matsuyama, Program Manager based in the Japan Office, and NY staff Sachiko Tokai. All are invited to come to our open house.
JICUF Launches Refugee Education Japan
This spring, JICUF decided to compile our work on refugee higher education under an initiative titled “Refugee Education Japan (REJ),” and launched a new website.
Since JICUF launched the Syrian Scholars Initiative in 2017 to welcome Syrian students with refugee backgrounds to ICU, we have gradually expanded our support for displaced students, and now are part of global and domestic networks to promote education pathways for refugees.
JICUF Opens an Office on the ICU Campus
On April 16, JICUF opened its Japan Office on the ICU Campus. The office is located on the first floor of the Education and Research Building (room 123). Hideko Matsuyama has been appointed the Program Manager of the JICUF Japan Office. We would like the office to be a welcoming space for everyone in the ICU community including students, faculty, ICU staff and alumni. Please come and say hello!
JICUF Holds Its Board Meeting and Reception in Honolulu
JICUF held its spring board meeting in Honolulu on Saturday, March 9th, at the East-West Center near the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Nine of the 11 JICUF board members and all four staff members were in attendance. From ICU, President Shoichiro Iwakiri, Vice President for International Academic Exchange Mark Williams, and Administrative Affairs Group staff Hideko Matsuyama participated from ICU. The meeting began with an opening address by David Janes, Chair of the JICUF Board, followed by a report from JICUF President and CEO Paul Hastings on ongoing projects, financial matters, and future directions. President Iwakiri then reported on the latest developments at the ICU. After lunch, JICUF staff […]
JICUF Co-hosts a Reunion for Ukrainian and Syrian Students in Japan, Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino Observes the Event
On Monday, March 18, as one of the organizers of the Japan Education Pathways Network (JEPN), JICUF co-hosted a reunion for Ukrainian and Syrian students who are studying in universities and language schools in Japan at Sophia University. Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino observed part of the event and conversed with some of the students. Approximately 80 students from across Japan, including 10 Japanese students from host institutions, attended the event.