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Date: Friday, February 16, 2024, 10:00-12:30 (lecture 60 minutes)
Venue: University of Colombo
Form: Hybrid format of face-to-face and online delivery
Language: English
Participants: Approximately 100 University of Colombo students (3rd-4th year undergraduates from the Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, and Faculty of International Business) and about 20 faculty members
Title: International Relations under Complex Crises
Background and Objectives
JICA Chair is a program to support the establishment of a JICA Chair in Japanese Studies at top universities in developing countries to nurture future leaders in those countries, This program provides support for the establishment of a course in Japanese Studies to study Japan’s development experience in the context of its history and cultural background. JICA CHAIR dispatches Japanese lecturers to the countries to give lectures on the Japanese experience as the first non-Western country to achieve modernization while maintaining its traditions and identity, among other activities.
For more information: Overview ｜ About the project – JICA
The University of Colombo, formerly the University of Ceylon Colombo Campus (established in 1942), is a national university and one of the best universities in the country, with 10 faculties and research institutes in various fields. In the past, JICA has also provided support through technical cooperation and grant aid.
● The University of Colombo started the JICA Chair in fiscal year 2022, and many students have participated each time since many students in Sri Lanka are obtaining master’s and doctoral degrees in Japan and are interested in Japanese studies. 2023 fiscal year, a total of five lectures were given on Japanese-style management, human resource development, agriculture, and competition, with a focus on Japan’s economic growth. In addition to the completion ceremony, this special lecture by Chancellor Tanaka was held as part of the program.
Sri Lanka is facing the most serious economic crisis since independence in 2022, and is required to pursue economic reforms in accordance with IMF programs. Sri Lanka is located at a strategic point on the sea lanes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia. Sri Lanka’s economic stabilization and growth through economic reforms, as well as strengthening its relations with other countries, will lead to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Against this background, this special lecture was held to share how Japan has formed and maintained international relations in today’s society, which is exposed to multiple crises, and to provide an opportunity for young people, who will lead the next generation, to deepen their thinking about international relations surrounding Sri Lanka.
Contents
In his special lecture, Chancellor Tanaka recognized that, in today’s society, global-scale issues such as climate change and the spread of new coronavirus infection have a major impact on the international community, while geopolitical crises such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are compounding the situation and making it more difficult to resolve these issues. He stressed the need for the maintenance of international order and mutual cooperation in order to confront such crises. In addition, he mentioned Japan’s efforts to build relations with other countries and maintain international order even in times of complex crises through the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” and noted that Sri Lanka, which is located at a strategic point in the Indo-Pacific region, will play an increasingly important role in the future.
After the lecture, a panel discussion was held by three representatives of the students who participated in the JICA Chair Program, and they reflected on the JICA Chair Program in 2023. The students commented positively on the experience of Japan’s modernization, saying, “It was a good opportunity to think about Sri Lanka’s position in the current complex international situation and the future of economic reconstruction,” and “As the generation responsible for Sri Lanka’s future, I want to make full use of what I learned in the JICA chair.
Lecture 1)
Lecture (2)
Panel discussion by students
JICA Chair Certificate of Completion Awarding
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