Attending the meeting on behalf of Waseda University were Professor Yanagizawa Akira - Director of the Faculty of Letters (Waseda University), Professor Kawajiri Akio (majoring in Japanese History) and Professor Tabata (majoring in Archaeology).
In his opening remarks, Prof. Yanagizawa Akira expressed his joy that the two schools had officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding on academic exchange, and expressed his hope that the two sides would soon realize specific cooperation contents, towards practical and long-term joint research activities.
On behalf of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan - Rector of the University, expressed his gratitude to Waseda University for welcoming the University's delegation led by Dr. Pham Hoang Hung (Head of the Faculty of Oriental Studies) to visit and work at Waseda University in February 2025. The event laid an important foundation for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides.
At the meeting, Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan proposed to invite a professor from Waseda University to teach at the University in 2026, and expressed his desire to expand student exchange programs between the two schools. Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan affirmed: The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is always ready to create conditions for students to participate in short-term exchange programs, and hopes that Waseda can consider granting scholarships and credit recognition for students from both sides. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is also ready to receive students from Waseda University for exchange, contributing to promoting academic exchange and training cooperation between the two schools.
Discussing the direction of research cooperation, President Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized the importance of jointly organizing academic activities, seminars, and joint publications, especially in the fields of history, archaeology, and Japan-Vietnam studies. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is currently one of four units in Vietnam licensed to conduct archaeological excavations, with a team of experienced experts. Therefore, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is ready to cooperate with experts from Waseda University to organize large-scale, comprehensive, and long-term research excavation projects in the future.
On the partner side, Professor Yanagizawa Akira expressed his appreciation for the goodwill of cooperation of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and invited experts from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to attend the International Academic Forum organized by the Faculty of Letters – Waseda University every November. The Professor expressed his wish to invite three experts from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to attend the Forum scheduled to take place in November 2026.
The online exchange took place in an open, sincere and highly academic atmosphere, contributing to strengthening the strategic partnership between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Waseda University - one of the leading universities in Japan, while opening up many new prospects for cooperation in training and research in social sciences and humanities between the two sides.
The Waseda University Graduate School of Letters, formerly the Faculty of Letters, was established in 1890. It was established in 2004 through the restructuring of the undergraduate and graduate departments, and research units in the fields of social sciences and humanities of Waseda University. Currently, the Waseda University Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences includes: School of Culture, Media and Society, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and Research Institute for Letters, Arts and Sciences.
