Welcoming the delegation from Shukutoku University (Japan)

During the meeting, Professor Pham Quang Minh briefly introduced the history of training and research at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, highlighting its position as a leading institution for social sciences and humanities education in Vietnam. Among the partners, the Rector affirmed that Japan has always been a crucial partner in the University's international cooperation strategy. The University maintains close relationships with Japanese universities such as the University of Tokyo, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Osaka University, Showa Women's University, and Waseda University. Therefore, the University also wishes to strengthen cooperation with Shukutoku University through activities such as student and faculty exchanges, particularly through short-term courses like Summer School; organizing the translation and publication of materials and textbooks on social work in Vietnam; co-organizing international conferences; and jointly conducting short-term and long-term research projects.

On behalf of Shukutoku University, Professor Masatoshi Hasegawa highly appreciated the cooperation proposals of Professor Pham Quang Minh. He also expressed his desire to continue the research project "Social Work and Buddhism" between the two sides. Through this project, professors and scholars from Shukutoku University and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities can exchange and discuss the relationship between Buddhism and social work in various countries, including Vietnam and Japan, in order to analyze and compare the role of Buddhism in social work in diverse social contexts. The research results will be published as a monograph with contributions from many different countries.

As part of this project, over the next two days, representatives from the Faculty of Sociology will join a delegation from Shukutoku University to conduct field surveys at several temples in Hanoi and neighboring provinces.

Professor Pham Quang Minh receives a commemorative gift from Professor Masatoshi Hasegawa.

Professor Pham Quang Minh poses for a commemorative photo with the delegation from Shukutoku University.

Shukutoku University was founded in 1965 in Chiba, Japan, and has had many collaborative projects with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. In March 2012, a research team from Shukutoku University visited Vietnam and discussed and signed a cooperation agreement for the research project "The Role of Buddhism in Social Work," initiated by Professor Nguyen Hoi Loan of Hanoi National University. The project was supported by the World Buddhist Association and agreed upon by Professor Hasegawa Masatoshi, President of Shukutoku University, and lasted for three years.