(NEWS) Sasakawa Peace Foundation Hosts Sasakawa Fellowship Student Orientation

September

2016

Sasakawa Peace Foundation Hosts Sasakawa Fellowship Student Orientation

The Orientation for the new Sasakawa Fellowship Students in the Class of 2017 was held at WMU on 23 September in the Sasakawa Auditorium. The event was hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), the organization that administers fellowships funded by The Nippon Foundation. SPF was represented by Mr. Eisuke Kudo, Advisor to SPF, and Mr. Shinichi Ichikawa, Manager of the Ocean Research and Development Department.

The Sasakawa Fellows Programme provides a network for Sasakawa Fellows to enable them to support their countries in addressing maritime policy challenges and to develop excellence in leadership as well as promote international cooperation. Sasakawa Fellowship Students are expected to take advantage of the experience gained at WMU to resolve challenges that their countries may face, and to build strong human networks to implement positive change in the maritime world as well as society in general.

The Sasakawa Orientation takes place annually to promote connections between the graduating Class and the incoming Sasakawa-sponsored students and to build the foundation for future collaboration. The Class of 2016 with 21 Sasakawa Fellowship Students, who will be graduating in October, welcomed the Class of 2017 of 29 Sasakawa Fellowship Students. The Orientation enabled them to set the foundation for expanding the Sasakawa Fellowship network.

Mr. Kudo delivered opening remarks and emphasized the importance of making connections with other Sasakawa Fellows to advance the network. Mr. Ichikawa focused on the history of the programme, its administration and funding arrangements.

Presentations by senior students were made on the different MSc specializations and their experience of studying at WMU. The new students presented themselves. A reception followed providing an opportunity for informal exchange.

The Nippon Foundation’s contributions to WMU began in 1987 providing fellowships for WMU students from Asia and Africa. The WMU Sasakawa Fellowship Programme began in 1988. The Nippon Foundation, through SPF, is the largest fellowship donor to the University, providing 25-30 new awards on an annual basis. The 2017 Class of Sasakawa Fellows will bring the total number of Sasakawa Fellows to 553, coming from more than 60 countries.

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