Honolulu Office of Kobe University
E-newsletter, April 2018

Honolulu Office of Kobe University
Newsletter

The Second
HOKU
Symposium
heldINDEX- News- Kobe University AY2017
Research- HOKU Facilities- Social Media- Let us know what you think
about our English website◆ NEWST

he Second HOKU
(Honolulu Office of KobeUniversity) Symposium held

On February 5, Kobe University
held the Second HOKU (Honolulu
Office of Kobe University)
Symposium “Intra-PacificCollaboration for Advanced
Academic Research on

Transborderness of Japanese People,
Culture and Thoughts”. The event
took place at Hawaii Imin
International Conference Center,
East-West Center.
Professor YAMAMOTO Hideyuki(Director, HOKU) chaired theopening remarks where speakers
included Kobe University's (KU),
Professor MIZUTANI Fumitoshi(Executive Vice President), Professor
KATAOKA Tohru (Vice President)
and Professor Denise Konan (Dean,College of Social Sciences, Universityof Hawai’i at Mānoa's) expressedhopes for increased US-Japan
collaboration in education, research
and academic training to promote
higher education development andacademic research improvements in
the Americas and the pan-Pacificregion.
During the symposium, researchers
from KU, American University, andthe University of Washingtonpresented or led discussions on avariety of topics on the themes of“Transnational Actors in Asia-Pacific:
Practice, Discourse, andRepresentation" and "Japanese
Literature/Thought Crossing theOceans: To Construct ‘Trans-borderJapanese Studies’". Discussions, andthe Q&A session, were enthusiastic
with attendee participation.
Professor KATAOKA closing remarks
stated expectations for HOKU tocontinue acting as a bridge between
researchers in the USA, Japan and thepan-Pacific region through its
symposia and workshops. With KU
and the UH Mānoa having
cooperated in the fields of medicine
and economics for many years,
Professor Kataoka expressed hopethat this symposium provides anopportunity for cooperation toexpand into humanities fields.

Honolulu Office of Kobe University
E-newsletter, April 2018

The symposium was a great success,with participants reaffirming
scholars’ high interest level in Japan
from a humanities perspective.
On the same day, Executive Vice
President Mizutani, accompanied byVice President Kataoka and Professor
SHIMOMURA Ken-ichi (Director,Office of the Americas), visited theUH Mānoa and met with Dr.
Anderson Sutton (Dean, School ofPacific and Asian Studies), Dr. DeniseKonan (Dean, College of SocialSciences), Dr. Patricia Steinhoff(Professor and Chair, Department ofSociology), Dr. TARUI Nori
(Associate Professor, Department ofEconomics), Dr. Petrice Flowers(Associate Professor, Department ofPolitical Science) and Dr. KIMURA
Ehito (Associate Professor andUndergraduate Chair, Department ofPolitical Science). The participantsconfirmed intentions to expand andstrengthen academic exchange
between the institutions anddiscussed promoting researchexchange across a broad spectrum ofdisciplines.
KU will continue to use the Honolulu
Office as a key location for academic
exchange in the pan-Pacific region,promoting collaboration andexchange with institutions in theUnited States and throughout thePacific.
http://www.kobeu.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2018_02_15_02.
html

After the February 6 symposium,
Kobe University (KU) held an
Advisory Board meeting at theHonolulu Office of Kobe University
in Hawai’i, United States of America.
Attending the meeting was board
member Professor NAKAMURA
Shuji (University of California, Santa
Barbara),On May 30, a delegation from theUniversity of Southern California’s
Business Japanese Course consistingof Master Lecturer Ms. KUMAGAIYuka (The Department of East AsianLanguages and Cultures at the USC
Dornsife College of Letters, Arts andSciences) and ten undergraduate
students paid a courtesy visit toPresident TAKEDA Hiroshi. Alsoattending the meeting were Mr. OTAToshikazu (International ServiceCommittee Vice Chair of the Rotary
Club of Osaka-Southwest) andProfessor YAMAMOTO Hideyuki(Graduate School of Humanities).

Professor SHIMOMURA Ken-ichi(Director, Office of the Americas,
Institute for Promoting International
Partnerships) chaired the meetingand Professor MIZUTANI Fumitoshi(Executive Vice-President) reported
on the new Board composition. Thiswas followed by presentations fromProfessor OGAWA Matsuto(Executive Vice President) andProfessor KATAOKA Tohru (VicePresident) followed respectively withpresentations on competitive funding
acquisition and joint research(especially in medicine) with
universities in the Americas.

After an initial greeting from Master
Lecturer KUMAGAI, each student
introduced themselves in Japaneseand an overview of the USC BusinessJapanese Course was provided. The
first two weeks of the course are heldat the USC campus developing
language skills, learning Japanesebusiness customs, and focusing oncase studies. Then the class moves toJapan for the second half of thecourse to obtain more practicalknowledge about Japanese businessand society through company visits,business lectures and other activities.
During their stay, the delegation
members will have an opportunity tocollaborate with Kobe University
students, including international
students, with some activities taking
place on KU Rokkodai Campus.

In discussion afterwards, Professor
Nakamura expressed opinions on
topics such as university ventures,
university donations and evaluated
KU’s related initiatives.
KU will continue to hold Advisory
Board meetings in overseas offices,and work to further enhance ourgovernance.
http://www.kobeu.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2018_02_14_01.
html

Visit from University ofSouthern California

The meeting atmosphere was relaxedand harmonious with participants
discussing topics including theKansai area’s historic and culturallyrich diversity, baseball culture in the
US and Japan, and Japanese Major
Leaguers. To conclude the meeting,Honolulu Office of Kobe University
E-newsletter, April 2018

President TAKEDA welcomed thedelegation expressing hope thestudents have a fruitful stay in Japanand gain a deeper understanding ofJapanese culture and business.
The visit is expected to facilitate
greater academic exchange between
the University of Southern California
and Kobe University.
http://www.kobeu.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2017_06_01.ht
mlD

the potential for future collaboration
between our institutions, focusing on
the field of agriculture. The
delegation received a brief campus
tour from Student PR Ambassadors
before visiting the Graduate School ofAgricultural Science. Professor TOSA
Yukio (Graduate School ofAgricultural Science) introduced thegroup to the laboratories within thegraduate school, spanning a wide
range of fields.

Eelegation visit from theUniversity of Nebraska

On February 8, a delegation from theUniversity of Nebraska visited
Professor YUI Kiyomitsu (ExecutiveAssistant to the President in Chargeof International Collaboration). The
delegation was led by Dr. Steve
Goddard, Interim Vice Chancellor for
Research and Economic
Development, and accompanied bymembers of the Hyogo Prefectural
Government led by Ms. TARU
Sachiko (Hyogo Prefecture,Department of Industry and Labor,
International Bureau, International
Relations Division). The meeting wasalso attended by Professor SHIRAI
Yasuhito (Kobe University Office ofthe Americas).
The University of Nebraska is acomprehensive research university
established by the state of Nebraska
in 1869, with the highest educationlevel in the state. Nebraska is also
home to Kawasaki Motors
Manufacturing Corp., and there is a
close relationship between the stateof Nebraska and Hyogo Prefecture.
These factors contributed to therealization of this visit.
During the meeting, participants
engaged in an active discussion about

http://www.kobeu.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2018_03_20_01.
html

lementary school students
attached to KU visit Hawaii

Kobe University aims to increaseexchange with the Americas throughour Office of the Americas. We hope
this visit will create opportunities forfurther academic exchange.
http://www.kobeu.ac.jp/en/NEWS/info/2018_03_09_01.
html

Asia-Pacific Workshop onValue Creation 2018
@Kobe University

On March 4, the Asia-PacificWorkshop on Value Creation 2018
@Kobe University took place in the
University’s Academia Hall for Social
Sciences. Dr. Constancio Paranal III,faculty advisor of University ofHawaii at Manoa, and Educational
Director of the Japan-America
Institute of Management Science(JAIMS), delivered his speech andfacilitated a session on the leadershipand management skills needed forinnovation.

The elementary school attached toKobe University is currently
implementing the "Kobe University
Elementary School GCP (GlobalChallenge Program)", based on theireducational goals to foster thefundamental qualities of globalcitizenship. From October 15-20 agroup of students and teachersvisited Honolulu in Hawaii on theHOKU Program. They visited
Hahaione Elementary School locatednear the Honolulu Office of Kobe
University for one-week exchange,and historical sites for peace studies
and cultural awareness, and spent a
portion of the program with hostfamilies.

Honolulu Office of Kobe University
E-newsletter, April 2018

◆ Research atKobe University

Our research highlights are showcased at Research at Kobe.
Diverse spectrum of research at Kobe University attracts students,academics, industries and business interests from across the world.
Please visit the research news site and see some of our ongoing
research. We hope you will be enlightened.
Contact: intl-relations(a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp- Researchers succeed in developing a genome editing technique that does not cleave DNA

http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2018_02_27_01.html
Human Development- Plant discovered that neither photosynthesizes nor blooms

http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2018_02_09_01.html
Geoscience- Plant discovered that neither photosynthesizes nor blooms

http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2017_11_17_01.html
Aquatic Ecology- When horses are in trouble they ask humans for help

http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2017_11_15_01.html
Plant Biology

Honolulu Office of Kobe University
E-newsletter, April 2018◆

HOKU Facilities
HOKU has a meeting room with space for 15-20 people, Wi-Fi access, and standard
equipment such as a screen, projector and whiteboard. It is used for holding seminarsand workshops with Kobe University researchers.
Address: JAIMS (Japan-America Institute of Management Science)
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Email: intl-relations (at) office.kobe-u.ac.jp.