Deputy Director

Nobuhiro Shiba
（Professor of Josai International University/Deputy Director of the Josai Institute for Central European Studies）

It has been decided that we found the first Institute for Central European Studies in Japan. This new departure is based on our exchange achievements with nine universities in Hungary, four universities in Poland, three universities in the Czech Republic, and one university in Slovakia. For the time being, the Institute will be promoting activities as a research/education organization targeting the four Central European countries constituting the Visegrád Group.
　 Although this is an organization that was founded in Josai University Educational Corporation, which is a private university, we expect that this Institute will act as a free salon for researchers and graduate students studying this region, who tend to be isolated in Japan, to gather and exchange information with each other. Furthermore, we expect that the institute will also act as the center of the network for researchers of Central European Studies in East Asia and Asia. In terms of the internal aspect, activities of the institute will be able to contribute to realizing unique and attractive classes by organically linking with faculty/graduate school education.
　 We will take time to accumulate the argument of which area defines “Central Europe” and why it is necessary to found an institute targeting Central Europe. There are two points to confirm at the start of the Institute. One is that the Institute will focus on the relationships with neighboring regions rather than only targeting the four Visegrád Group countries in order to contribute to European Area Studies. The other point is that the Institute will also launch projects for different issues, such as medicine, environment, disaster prevention, and energy, etc. in order to become an Institute for the interdisciplinary studies.
　 We intend to make our best efforts in the academic aspects, such as publishing the Institute journal, organizing research projects, symposia, and study meetings, etc. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.