Second edition of Japan Month at IITH wraps up successfully

Hyderabad: The second edition of Japan Month concluded on Tuesday, focusing on strengthening educational ties and collaborative opportunities between IIT-Hyderabad and Japan. Dr Kazuhito Hashimoto, president, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), was the chief guest. Seventy-two participants from 15 universities and six organisations from Japan discussed ways to enhance student and faculty exchange, research opportunities, technology development, and start-up ecosystems.

The Japan Academic Day on October 21 and 22 marked the conclusion of the IIT Hyderabad-Japan Month. Dr Hashimoto and Ariyoshi Takashi, chargé d'affaires ad interim of Japan and representative of the Embassy of Japan in India, attended as the guest of honour alongside JICA chief representative Takeuchi Takuro for the inaugural programme on October 21.

The event was a part of IITH Japan Month 2024, which ran from August 27 to October 22, 2024, aiming to highlight the shared commitment to enhancing collaboration and strengthening ties between IIT-H and Japan through education and research.

Twenty booths were set up for students to learn more about the universities, higher education, research opportunities, and scholarships in Japan. Students, faculty members, and others discussed with Japanese professors and universities opportunities such as joint supervision, internships, industrial collaboration, and joint proposal writing.

Dr Hashimoto congratulated on the completion of the phase II project at IIT-H with JICA support and expressed JST's long history with India. He mentioned India's eagerness to enhance manufacturing capabilities under the Make in India initiative. He emphasised the potential for a stronger partnership between Japan and India.

Sibi George, ambassador of India to Japan, highlighted IITH's role in the India-Japan science and technology partnership and emphasised the need for more exchanges in science and technology.

Takashi expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to hold Japan Academic Day at IIT-H and emphasised the potential for joint research and study opportunities in Japan for IIT-H students. He highlighted the barriers to studying in Japan and introduced two people-to-people exchange initiatives by the Embassy of Japan: the "MEXT Scholarship" and a scholarship for government-sponsored students.