The 5th Joint Program Meeting of the Steering Committee, Inter-University Exchange Project with Latin America, at El Colegio de Mexico

Photograph of Steering Committee Members

In 2015, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan (MEXT) granted the University of Tsukuba funding for the "Trans-Pacific Human Capital Development Program" under the framework of "Inter-University Exchange Programs with Latin America". The Program is now in its fifth and final year of implementation.

Fifth joint program meeting of the steering committee took place on August 29th and 30th, 2019 in Mexico City. From its start, the Program has been collaboratively managed by all participating partner universities, holding joint program meeting every year. This fifth meeting was co-hosted by El Colegio de Mexico and the University of Tsukuba, each represented by Dr. Amaury Garcia (Director, Center for Asian and African Studies) and Dr. Mari Minowa (Program Chair). They were accompanied by the other five representatives from our partner universities (University of Los Andes, University of Sao Paulo, University of Guadalajara, University of Chile, and Pontifical Catholic University of Peru). From University of Tsukuba, Dr. Saori Isoda (Program Coordinator) and Giancarlo Carmelino (Program Assistant) also joined.

Throughout the two-day session of the meeting, the committee discussed ways to continue and further strengthen ties between partner institutions, and decided to formalize the academic ties as Trans-Pacific Academic Consortium focused on Japanese and Latin American studies as well as common global agenda. Participants agreed to continue student exchange as well as development of a research network beyond student exchange. In that respect, building of common curricula on selected topics of common interest was also decided. Given that this is the final year of the MEXT funding, the committee agreed on sharing program costs and responsibilities in order to continue the significant positive results the program has achieved so far.

As part of the program activities, eight selected students from University of Tsukuba were visiting Mexico during the same period, attending special classes organized by El Colegio de Mexico and conducting various site visits. Those Japanese students and Mexican students who had studied in Tsukuba made brief presentations about their experiences to the representatives attending the meeting. The Japanese exchange students and the delegate from the University of Tsukuba also visited the Embassy of Japan in Mexico and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Japan, among other places, to gain deeper understanding of the political, cultural and commercial relationship between Mexico and Japan.

University of Tsukuba and El Colegio de Mexico also conducted a joint research forum as activity of the steering committee. Dr. Yukari Yoshihara (University of Tsukuba) and Dr. Amaury Garcia (El Colegio de Mexico) presented their respective research on Japanese pop culture and Ukiyoe. The forum was attended by many students and faculty members of El Colegio de Mexico. We are determined to continue our great effort in developing human capital that would serve as bridge between Japan and Latin America.

Introduction of Short Term Exchange Students from the University of Tsukuba to the representatives of Colegio de Mexico

Japanese Embassy in Mexico

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Session Development of Steering Committee

Presentation of Professors Dr. Amaury Garcia and Dr. Yukari Yoshihara