On the afternoon of January 26, 2026, at the headquarters in Tokyo, Mr. Shinya Kurosawa, President of the Japan Foundation, held a strategic meeting with a delegation from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi). During the meeting, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in Japanese studies in the digital age and open up valuable scholarship opportunities for students from Master's to postdoctoral levels.
Also present to welcome the delegation were Dr. Yuri Sato, Advisor (Japan Studies, Global Partnerships, Branding and Communications) and Mr. Wakao Koike, Executive Director of the Japanese Studies Department.
Rector Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his gratitude to the Japan Foundation at its headquarters in Japan and the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam for their strategic and continuous support of the Japanese Studies department, Faculty of Oriental Studies, for over 20 years. Through programs and projects funded by the Foundation, the Japanese Studies department has organized more than 10 specialized lectures with the participation of dozens of Japanese studies researchers worldwide, published 9 volumes of Japanese Studies research papers, held 4 international conferences, and awarded scholarships to doctoral and master's students to study and conduct research in Japan. This demonstrates the Foundation's trust in the quality of training and research in the Japanese Studies department.
At the same time, Professor Hoang Anh Tuan also shared the purpose of the trip, which was to strengthen cooperation and connections with reputable and promising partners in Thailand, China, and Japan regarding research and training in Japanese studies. He hoped that in the future, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities would play a bridging role between domestic and international Japanese studies institutions.
Professor Hoang Anh Tuan and Chairman Shinya Kurosawa at the working session between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Japan Foundation.
Chairman Shinya Kurosawa expressed his support for the development of Japanese Studies in particular and the University in general. The active and effective activities of the Japanese Studies Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in recent times are a bright spot in the overall context of the region. Ms. Yuri Sato announced a new funding direction aimed at supporting and providing scholarships from graduate students to postdoctoral scholars and hopes that more people interested in Japanese Studies will apply to this program.
Both sides agreed to cooperate in further developing Japanese Studies, as well as other disciplines at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, to contribute to promoting understanding and foreign relations between the two close partner countries, and to look towards the future in the context of globalization and the digital age.
