GJO Established at the University of Melbourne (Australia)
September 25, 2018
On Monday, September 17, 2018, a ceremony marking the establishment of the Global Japan Office (GJO) at the University of Melbourne (Australia) was held.
The ceremony was held as part of the "International Conference on New Frontiers in Japanese Studies" program facilitated by TUFS Professor Philip SEATON from the Institute of Japan Studies and Professor OGAWA Akihiro from the University of Melbourne, and was attended by Dean of the Faculty of Arts Ms. Denise VARNEY and Asia Institute Director Mr. Pookong KEE from the University of Melbourne.
At the ceremony, President Tateishi gave an opening speech, after which Dean Varney and President Tateishi signed an agreement to establish the GJO. The ceremony was followed by the display of a signboard by Professor Pookong Kee and President Tateishi.
The University of Melbourne has a long history of Japanese studies and is among the oldest such institutions in the world. TUFS and the University of Melbourne signed a comprehensive agreement in 2012 and a student exchange agreement in 2017. As a leading institution for Japanese language and cultural education, there are high hopes that the opening of an office at the university will further promote education and research exchanges between Japan and Australia.
After the ceremony, Professor Philip Seaton of TUFS gave a keynote speech at the symposium entitled "Japan Studies in the 21st Century", in which he introduced the history of Japanese studies and its transition, as well as Japanese studies and Japanese language education at TUFS.
Prior to the ceremony, President Tateishi and faculty paid a courtesy call on Professor Richard JAMES, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Undergraduate) at the University of Melbourne.
*TUFS, as a Top Global University, has established Global Japan Offices at major overseas partner institutions to serve as platforms for Japanese studies and Japanese language education in order to enhance Japan’s global presence and to support the globalization of universities.
