On January 28, 2015, YNU International Symposium titled “Collaboration with Latin America Based on Yokohama –Spin a Dream Together- “Esperanza”” was held at JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Yokohama International Center. It took the long 7 hours, but approximately 160 people participated.

YNU President SUZUKI Kunio gave the opening address and then Ms. SUZUKI Noriko, Deputy Director, International Policy Section, Higher Education Policy Division, Higher Education Bureau, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) gave a speech on globalization of higher education in Japan, transition of students in & out of Japan, various programs for internationalization which are initiated by MEXT, and relationship of universities between Japan and Latin America, with the title “Trials and Measures by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Re-Inventing Japan Project: Connection and Cooperation with Latin America”.
Mr. Tamabayashi Yosuke, Deputy Director of JICA Yokohama International Center, gave a speech on the history of immigrant business by Japanese government, societies of people abroad with Japanese ancestry, and missions to complete, measures taken so far, and problems to be solved, for JICA, with the title “From the Port of Yokohama to Latin America, the Past, the Present, and the Future.”

In the session of Keynote Speech, Part 1, Mr. Naoyuki Toyotoshi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Paraguay to Japan gave a speech titled “Expectations to Japan and Expectations to Yokohama National University,” and then “Brazil and Japan – Global and Strategic Partners” by Ms. Elaine Humphreys, First Secretary, Embassy of Brazil in Japan, “For Yokohama National University International Symposium 2015” by Professor Julio Renan Paniagua Alcaraz on behalf of Rector of Universidad Nacional de Asunción (Paraguay), “Importance of YNU in the Process of Internationalization of ITAM in Asia: Building bridges between Mexico and Yokohama” by Associate Professor Ulises Granados Quiroz on behalf of Vice-Rector of Instituto Technológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), and “The Current and the Future of Higher Education in Brazil –International Strategies of USP and Collaboration with Yokohama” by Professor Raul Machado Neto, Vice-Rector of Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil). All the five speakers talked on his/ her personal experiences to describe the relationship between his/ her own country and Japan and that with Yokohama National University, along with quite practical episodes.

In the first part of Part 2, Professor YAMADA Hitoshi, YNU Executive Director of International Affairs gave an address and then Professor Toshi-ichi Tachibana, Universidade de São Paulo (YNU Professor Emeritus) gave a speech titled “As the Bridge between Japan and Brazil –With My Own Experiences-”, “Promotion of Exchanges in Higher Education between Japan and Columbia” by Professor Ivan Reinald Sarmiento Ordosgoitia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, and “Trials and Measures by Yokohama National University in Latin America: The Case of Academic Exchanges and Support to Agricultural Village Development in the Republic of Paraguay” by Professor FUJIKAKE Yoko, Faculty of Urban Innovation, Yokohama National University. All the three speakers talked on his/ her practical trials measures so far and also practical plans to design the future exchanges between Yokohama National University and Latin American universities.

At the latter part of Part 2, the attended people, YNU students, the speakers were organized to five groups to hold a debate about each topic: Environment, Education, Labor of Youth, International Exchanges, and Leadership. After the discussion, representatives of each group on the stage gave a presentation on the topic. All the groups had active discussions on individual topic by a diversity of the participated people.

As the final part of the program, Professor ARAKI Ichiro acted as the chairperson and Professor Hermelinda Alvarenga de Ortega, Vice-Rector of Universidad Nihon Gakko (Paraguay), Professor Pablo Martinez Acosta, Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú (Paraguay), Associate Professor Granados, Instituto Technólogico Autónomo de México, Professor Tachibana, Universidade de São Paulo, Professor YAMAZAKI Keiichi, Faculty of International Social Sciences, Professor Fujikake, Faculty of Urban Innovation (Chief of Latin American Development Policies, Institute of Advanced Sciences) acted as panelists, to organize a panel discussion titled “Education and Development of Japanese to Know Latin America and Latin American to Know Japan.” Panel Discussion started with his/ her opinion by individual debater for 5 minutes each, and then debaters on panel had a lively discussion by involving the attended people, who asked questions. They closed the discussion with a coincidence of opinions that the most important thing is to do work locally, to know and understand each other.

Finally, Professor NAKAMURA Fuminiko, Dean of Faculty of Urban Innovation, gave a closing address of this symposium.
It was a symposium to take long hours; however, people had active discussions to involve the people attended, to present high interest into cooperation and exchanges between YNU and Latin American universities with this symposium.

Click here for handouts, presentation files, and reports.