NEWS

On January 19, 2024, Ms. Mari Suzuki, Executive Director of the Sylff Association Secretariat of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research (hereafter, the Tokyo Foundation), along with other scholarship staff, visited APU. The Tokyo Foundation is responsible for the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) which provides scholarships to graduate students. The scholarship aims to foster global leaders who can overcome differences such as nationality, race, religion, etc. to solve various problems that exist in society. Including APU, there are currently only three universities in Japan implementing the program, and APU now has two graduate students receiving the scholarship.

During the visit, APU President Yoneyama discussed with the Executive Director the challenges faced by APU due to the pandemic and the opening of the new College of Sustainability and Tourism faculty in 2023. Two current Sylff scholarship recipients were also present to express their gratitude and showcase their research.

This visit was instrumental in bridging the 5-year gap between the previous visit by the Tokyo Foundation before the pandemic. APU aims for better Sylff program management and support for graduate students, with cooperation from the Tokyo Foundation.