On September 3, Malaysian Minister of Tourism Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen paid a visit to Tokyo Kioicho Campus. Having come to Josai just last November, this marks Dr. Ng’s second visit in the span of a year. In commemoration of her honorary doctoral degree, Dr. Ng was scheduled to deliver an address at Kioicho Campus the following day, September 4.

Dr. Ng was also accompanied by Ambassador of Malaysia to Japan H.E. Dato' Shaharuddin bin Md Som, among other dignitaries and officials from the Ministry of Tourism. The reception that preceded the lecture provided the opportunity to interact with these individuals and to discuss Josai’s plan for strengthening academic exchange with Malaysia.

Following the reception, Minister Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen delivered her lecture entitled, “Prospects for Malaysian Tourism in the 21st Century.” There were more than 170 people in attendance, including students, faculty, government officials, and entrepreneurs. Chancellor Noriko Mizuta introduced Dr. Ng by saying, “Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen is the first Malaysian Chinese Woman to hold a cabinet position, having been named the minister in charge of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2008 and the Minister of Tourism the following year. She has devoted immense energy into the development of Malaysian tourism and it is my hope that Josai students will learn much from her lecture this evening.”

During her lecture, Dr. Ng introduced the audience to the plan to establish Malaysia—a country blessed by rich natural surroundings—as a major tourist destination, including the development of ecotourism and the many events planned by the Ministry of Tourism that linked gourmet cuisine, the arts, shopping, medicine, and education. She also introduced the major role that the Ministry of Tourism plays in the plan to bolster the Malaysian tourism industry by the year 2020. Dr. Ng said, “Tourism is something that is only available in countries where peace and harmony has been firmly established and, when successful, can even serve as the catalyst for change to those who visit. For the sake of further strengthening the Malaysian tourist industry and attracting even more visitors, a stronger education system to train tourist professionals is necessary. Josai International University, being a school that truly understands the importance of tourism, has had the foresight to establish a Faculty of Tourism, and it is for this reason that I anticipate many productive exchanges in the future.”

After the lecture, Josai held a dinner reception to celebrate Dr. Ng’s honorary doctoral degree at a nearby hotel, drawing more than 200 people from the Japanese and Malaysian communities.

Minister Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, who has not only made numerous contributions to the growth of Malaysian tourism while fostering economic development and cultural exchange, is also highly regarded as a groundbreaking female leader in Asian global society. Dr. Ng has also made great contributions to the development of society by offering ideas for the expansion of a women’s higher education system that emphasizes multiculturalism and encourages the diversification of women’s involvement in the business world. Beyond that, Dr. Ng has also devoted much energy to fostering international exchange between Malaysia and Japan, facilitating Josai’s recent academic exchange agreement with Malaysia’s University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), which commenced this year with Josai sending 100 exchange students to UTAR. It is in recognition of the aforementioned achievements and accomplishments that JIU chose to award Dr. Ng with an honorary doctoral degree.

With the conferral of Dr. Ng’s doctoral degree, one can expect even more academic exchanges between Josai and Malaysian institutions in the future.