»I had a brilliant and unique experience byparticipating in the forum because the discussions with participants from diverse backgrounds helped explore solutions to global
challenges from interdisciplinary perspectives.«
Maruyama Mei, Participant 2019
United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability

Participants
In the past, participants have included prospective leaders fromAirbus Japan K.K., The Asahi Shimbun Company, Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), Bank of Japan (BOJ), Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), Commerzbank AG, Daido Life Insurance
Company, Daimler AG, Deloitte GmbH, Dentsu Inc., DeutscheWelle (DW), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ),
German Federal Employment Agency, German Federal ForeignOffice (AA), German Red Cross (GRC) e.V., Hitachi Ltd., HORIBA,Ltd., The Japan Foundation, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labourand Welfare (MHLW), Jiji Press, Merck KGaA, Mitsubishi ResearchInstitute, MITSUI & Co., Ltd., Munich Security Conference (msc), Panasonic Corporation, RIKEN, Siemens AG, Sumitomo DeutschlandGmbH, TÜV Rheinland InterTraffic GmbH, DIE ZEIT and various
other institutions, companies and top universities.
Contact
German-Japanese Young Leaders Forum
Sven Traschewski
Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)
Saargemuender Str. 214195 Berlin, Germany
Tel. +49 (0)30 839 07 150
Fax +49 (0)30 839 07 220
straschewski@jdzb.de
www.jdzb.de»I gained great insight into German-Japaneserelations, thanks to the outstanding speakers
and excursions, and I found the stimulating
discussions on current topics with participantsfrom different backgrounds very enriching.«
Jenny Lehmann, Participant 2019
The Governing Mayor of Berlin - Senate Chancellery»At this forum, I met young leaders fromvarious backgrounds who truly combine
vision, passion and professionalism in amodern society which is becoming increasingly diverse and complex and in which
uncertainties grow. I enjoyed discussing
with them and we became friends for life.«
Dr. Sekine Masaki, Participant 2019
BASF Japan Ltd.

Photo Credits
Title Photo: Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)Inside Photo: German Federal Government/Kugler
Group Photo: JDZBGerman-JapaneseYoung Leaders Forum»The German-Japanese Young Leaders Forum
allowed me a first-hand insight into Japaneseperspectives on pressing regional and global
issues. By bringing strong personal andauthentic values to the forum, we were able toenlighten our minds through highly enriching
discussions and learnt about creative andmeaningful ways for future collaborations on aglobal scale.«
Dr. Sinan Akdeniz, Participant 2019Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)

Program Goals
Since 2006, the German-Japanese Young Leaders Forum intends
to inspire the next generation of future leaders to contribute to
the relations between Germany and Japan. Young prospective
leaders from various professions are invited to address politicallyand socially relevant issues during the forum and to deepen
mutual understanding by working together. The program aims atestablishing sustainable networks that will both strengthen andfurther vitalize the future cooperation between both countries.
Program Outline
The annual program is held alternately in Germany or Japan andconsists of a summer school and an alumni conference. Everyyear, the forum takes up a different specific topic which is ofimportance for Germany and Japan alike. The program offers avariety of opportunities for learning, networking, and exchange byorganizing expert lectures, working groups, visits to institutions,and encounters with alumni.
Target Group
Each year, 16 promising young professionals – eight Germanand eight Japanese – are carefully selected. Intentionally, theprofessional backgrounds in each group are as diverse as they canbe, ranging from business, politics, administration, and the media toFor more than 160 years, Japan andGermany have shared a close friendship.
The Young Leaders Forum offers young
visionaries the opportunity to strengthen
these bonds even further to prepare thetwo nations for the challenges of tomorrow.
The diversity and individuality of eachparticipant create synergies and new, exciting ideas, and more
often than not, result in friendships that last a lifetime.
Dr. Clemens von Goetze
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japanthe academic world. Applicants should be between 25 to 35 years
old. Fluency in English is required.
FundingIn 2023, the program is funded by Daido Life Insurance Company,
the Mori Manufacturing Research and Technology Foundation,
the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, YANMAR HOLDINGS CO., LTD.,Yuasa M&B Co., Ltd., and supported by other institutions. This covers
all basic expenditure, such as costs for travel, accommodation,
meals, transport, etc.
Coordination
The Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB), a non-profit foundation
supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Ministryof Foreign Affairs of Japan as well as the City State of Berlin, wasestablished in 1985 to promote and deepen Japanese-German andinternational cooperation in the fields of science and culture. It
serves as the coordinating institution for organizing the GermanJapanese Young Leaders Forum.
Alumni Association
In 2011, alumni of the program established an alumni association
to further foster the development of sustainable networks between
Germany and Japan and to actively contribute to the Young Leaders
Program.

I believe that this program is especiallymeaningful because it brings togethera diverse range of people from various
industries and fields to learn together
and deepen mutual understanding.
Relations between Japan and Germany areprogressing not only in the fields of politics
and business, but also in exchanges in academia, culture, scienceand technology, and between civil societies. There is now a greater
opportunity to deepen mutual understanding in a wide range offields and to enhance the ties between our two countries in order toshape bilateral relations for the future. I hope that the participants
will learn a great deal from this program and they will contribute todeepening and strengthening the relationship between Germany
and Japan.
Yanagi Hidenao, Ambassador of Japan to theFederal Republic of Germany