On May 23, 2023, the Czech Ambassador to Japan, Martin Tomčo, visited Tohoku University and met with Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki.
EVP Ueki welcomed the ambassador and shared his expectations for further collaborations with Czech universities. He expressed his hope that such collaborations would be not only in the natural sciences but also in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), and mentioned Tohoku University’s university-level academic exchange agreement with the Czech Technical University in Prague. Ambassador Tomčo discussed collaboration in advanced technology fields between the Czech Republic and Japan, which is being promoted with support from the European Union, and highlighted the importance of strengthening the relationships between academic institutes within the two countries.
After the meeting, Ambassador Tomčo was given a tour of the Tohoku University Archives and the Lu Xun Lecture Hall on Katahira Campus and then visited the main library and Hagi Hall on Kawauchi Campus. He also visited the Seiryo and Aobayama campuses. He was guided by Assoc. Prof. Yukino Sato, who is a long-time friend of the ambassador.
Ambassador Tomčo later met with Prof. Hiroyuki Eto, Dean of the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, and Prof. Tomoki Okawara, who is the chairperson of the graduate school’s International Exchange Committee.
Ambassador Tomčo participated in a roundtable discussion with Czech exchange students as well as university students who study the Czech language and culture. He asked attendees about why they became interested in the Czech language, and one student answered that he wanted to be able to communicate with Czech students who participated in his club activities. The event ended on a high note, with students asking the ambassador many questions, for instance about places they could visit to learn more about the lives of the Czech people.
[L-R: Ambassador Tomčo, Assoc. Prof. Yukino Sato, and EVP Ueki]
