On May 17, Josai University Educational Corporation (Noriko Mizuta, Chancellor) hosted an honorary visit from a Czech Republic delegation that included members of the Upper House and the Education and Human Rights Council. This event provided the precious opportunity to discuss the promotion of academic exchange and other important topics.

As part of Josai’s mid-term target of strengthening international exchange to cultivate global human resources, our university has made academic exchange agreements with a number of institutions worldwide, in particular those located in Central Europe. Josai has concluded academic exchange agreements with three universities in the Czech Republic―University of Economics, Prague; Charles University in Prague; and Masaryk University―with both Josai and Josai International Universities hosting exchange students from said institutions. To date, Josai has hosted five Czech exchange students and sent fourteen Josai students to study abroad in the Czech Republic. Josai has also hosted yearly events with nations of the V4 (or Visegrad Group, which includes the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, and their respective embassies) in cooperation with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Zdeněk Berka led the five-member Czech delegation. Their week-long stay in Japan included visits to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the National Diet, NHK, and elementary schools and universities, in the interest of promoting student exchange at institutions of higher learning and academic exchange and joint research in the fields of science and technology. With Josai having already developed a fruitful academic exchange with the Czech Republic, our campus was the first one that the delegation visited.

On the afternoon the Czech delegation visited the International Conference Room in the 3rd Building of Josai’s Kioicho campus, they engaged in an informal discussion with Chancellor Mizuta, Josai University President Hakuo Yanagisawa, and other university representatives. In her introductory remarks, Chancellor Mizuta said, “This university has benefited greatly from Czech exchange students, some of whom now work as faculty at Josai. It is my wish that the young people of Japan, particularly the young people of Josai, will engage in an active exchange with your country, and so becoming vital human resources and leaders in this new century. I hope that this opportunity will lead to even more productive exchanges with the Czech republic and its universities.” Chairman Belka added that he would do everything in his power to facilitate academic exchange. After Josai’s video presentation, committee member Zuzana Baudyšová, who has devoted her career to child protection, stated, “I believe children’s rights to be of the utmost importance. All of you have made immense contributions to the protection of children’s human rights.” Chancellor Mizuta responded by saying that, “Our university has a Children’s Welfare course and we’d appreciate any guidance you could provide.”