The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Visegrad Group (V4) and Josai University Education Corporation jointly hosted “Visegrad plus Japan Seminar on Science and Technology” at Josai University Educational Corporation’s Tokyo Kioicho Campus hall on Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

Four Central European countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic - forms the Visegrad Group, which is also collectively called the “Visegrad Four” or “V4”, to provide a framework for cooperation aimed at promoting friendship and alliances among the countries. Japan is enhancing dialogue and cooperation with the Visegrad countries in the name of “V4 plus Japan.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has previously held various seminars on topics such as economy, environment, development cooperation and energy efficiency for the V4 plus Japan.
　 While Josai University actively enhances international exchanges with various universities around world, based on its medium-term goal of developing global human resources, Central Europe has always been an area of strength and strategic importance.

This is the third time that Josai has jointly hosted this seminar. At the suggestion of Slovak Republic, which holds the V4 presidency, the theme of this year’s seminar was scientific technology issues. In session 3, Prof. Kenji Sugibayashi, Head of graduate school of pharmaceutical sciences, Josai University, gave a speech on Global Communication and Collaboration in Pharmaceutical sciences.

Approximately 150 people from various fields, including officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, members of embassies of V4 countries in Japan, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Japan Science and Technology Agency, Josai’s faculty members and students, scholars specializing in Central Europe, corporate members from companies supporting our global education, participated in this seminar.