On September 25, a delegation from Free University of Berlin, led by its Vice President for International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Verena Blechinger-Talcott, visited Tohoku University. The delegation was cordially greeted and met with Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki.
During their meeting, EVP Ueki introduced one of the university’s founding principles, the ‘Open Door’ policy, while going over the university’s founding spirit, history, and initiatives. He also noted that Sendai is recognized as a city of academia and is often referred to as the ‘Heidelberg of Japan’. He also expressed his hope for further promotion of exchanges between the two universities through initiatives like the Hasekura League—an educational and research network in the humanities and social sciences, which was established in 2015 with primary support from Tohoku University. Prof. Dr. Blechinger-Talcott then provided an introduction of the history of Free University of Berlin’s establishment and a general summary. She also referenced past exchanges with the International Research Institute of Disaster Science and other faculties, and then the two parties expressed enthusiasm for promoting exchanges that will mutually leverage the strengths of both universities.
The delegation visited Japan to participate in a summer school program at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), which was hosted by the Free University of Berlin Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS), from September 23 to 28. During the program, students visited areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures and engaged in group projects.
Contact:
Global Engagement Division Tohoku University
TEL：022-217-6182
E-mail：kokusai-k*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @.)