Kobe University Newsletter "Kaze"

Vol. 03
October 2017

FEATURE
30km under the sea:a closer look at giant underwater volcanoes
RESEARCH
Breaking ground in genome-editing technology
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Never dine alone

Kobe insights

Port of Kobe celebrates
150th anniversary

In this issue...
SPOTLIGHT
3 30km under the sea: a closer look at giant underwater volcanoes

The Port of Kobe opened to internationalmerchants on Jan 1, 1868. At that time, Kobe was a“sleepy village well known locally for its thrivingsake and fishing industries” (Japan Times). Kobe
was chosen to be one of Japan’s four new
international trading hubs (the other three were
Yokohama, Niigata and Nagasaki). The port
flourished, and by the end of the 19th century
roughly 2,000 people lived in Kobe’s foreign
settlement.
The city’s role as one of the first open trading ports
has made Kobe one of the most international places
in Japan. Marks of its history as a gateway to theworld can be seen throughout the city: the former
foreign residences on the slopes of Kitano, a thriving
Chinatown, and Japan’s first permanent mosque,built in 1935 and still used for worship today. And
there are the less visible marks ofinternationalization – for example, the citizens ofKobe are some of the largest bread consumers inJapan. There is also an openness about Kobe, an
acceptance of diversity and new ideas.
This year the 150th anniversary of the port
opening was celebrated in style, with events in andaround the port since April: music festivals, foodmarkets and of course many maritime-themed
activities. Festivities peaked in July, when tall ships
from other international and domestic ports visited
Kobe for a parade on Marine Day. Kobe University
has also been celebrating, with tours of the harboron one of the training yachts at the Faculty of
Maritime Sciences.
The Port of Kobe is now on major internationalsea routes to over 500 ports in over 130 countries
and regions. Kobe continues to be a hub for global
trade and business, and the University is proud tobe a part of this lively and outward-looking city.

RESEARCH AT KOBE
6 Breaking ground in genome-editing technology
9 International Clinical Cancer Research Center opens
EDUCATION
10 Summer school at Kobe University
11 International voices
COMMUNITY IMPACT
13 Never dine alone: a healthy cafeteria menu that connects the world
INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL FEATURE
15 Strong Partnership with Europe: A word with the experts
17 Strong Partnership with Europe: Erasmus+ mobility with Jagiellonian University
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
19 Activities at the Kobe University Brussels European Centre
19 Visegrad Project kicks off
20 Joint symposium with Beijing Foreign Studies University
20 Forum for Leaders of Japanese Studies

Why “Kaze”?
There are two main concepts behind the title “Kaze”, meaning“wind”. Firstly, Kobe University’s goal to innovate, creating a windof change. Secondly, our location at the foot of Mt Rokkō, an area
known for the invigorating wind of Rokkō-oroshi that blows downfrom the mountain range.
The calligraphy on the cover of “Kaze” was created by Professor
Emeritus UOZUMI Kazuaki, a researcher of calligraphy at Kobe
University.

20 Visit from University of Southern California
FACT SHEET
21 Fact SheetContact us: intl-relations@office.kobe-u.ac.jp
relations(International Affairs Planning Division)
Find out more:w
www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en@KobeU_Global

Kobe University

SPOTLIGHT

interviewee

Earth’s crust, the cause of suchlarge-scale eruptions.

KOBEC has embarked on two observation
voyages to the Kikai Caldera, in October
2016 and March 2017, for a total of 25days. The training ship Fukae Maru of the
University’s Graduate School of Maritime
Sciences was loaded with the latest
observation equipment, and on its firstvoyage they confirmed the existence of agiant lava dome within the caldera. What
does this mean?

Prof. TATSUMI Yoshiyuki
Director of the Kobe Ocean
Bottom Exploration Center

What is imaging?
Think of it like a CT scan of the
Earth’s crust. For example, anindirect diagnosis of illness from theobservation that someone has a feveris very different from a diagnosis
based on a CT scan. Right now, themagma accumulation is only shownindirectly.
We’re surveying the Kikai Caldera tocarry out monitoring and accurate
imaging of the location and size of themagma accumulation. From there wewill collect data to help predict
eruptions, such as the composition of
the magma, the mechanism behind amassive caldera eruption, and thephenomena preceding an eruption.
Now I see what you mean by “first in
the world”.

30km under the sea: a closer look at
giant underwater volcanoes“Tomorrow a volcanic eruption
could occur that takes the lives or
livelihoods of over 100 million
people in Japan.” The Kikai
Caldera Project run by the Kobe
Ocean-Bottom
Exploration
Center (KOBEC) is a research
project that aims to image amagmatic system beneath thevolcano and predict suchcatastrophic eruptions before
they occur. The Kikai Caldera is a
20km
diametersubmarine
caldera south of Japan’s mainislands. Roughly 7300 years ago
it triggered a massive eruption
said to have wiped out culture insouthern
Kyushu.
KOBEC
Director Professor TATSUMI
Yoshiyuki is working on the firsthigh-precision imaging andmonitoring of this volcano. We
talked to him about thesignificance of this project.

03

It could happen at any time–
predicting
massivevolcanic eruptions
Why did you decide to survey the
Kikai Caldera?
The Kobe Ocean-Bottom Exploration
Center was established in October
2015 as part of organizational reforms
to improve maritime training andtechnologicaldevelopment.
In
addition, we also created this center
as Kobe University’s response to thesense of crisis that “we have to dosomething about this giant caldera
eruption”.
The Kikai Caldera is the most recent
giant caldera in Japan. When acaldera-forming
catastrophic
eruption occurs, there is a pyroclastic
flow incomparably larger than normal
eruptions and a deep layer of volcanic
ash covers a wide area, potentiallycausing long-term destruction of thelivable environment for humans. If
such an eruption occurs now incentral Kyushu, at worst it could
cause the deaths of over 100 million
people or create unlivable conditions.
Based on statistical analysis of past
events, there is approximately a 1%chance of a giant caldera erupting
near the Japanese archipelago within
the next 100 years. This is a similar
probability to that of the Great
Hanshin Earthquake before it
occurred. In other words, it could
happen any time.

Magma imaging is also happening at
Yellowstone in Central America, but
the observation is not that accurate
and they cannot monitor the details.
Volcanoes are monitored using
seismic waves, but at Yellowstone
they use natural earthquakes. In
order to increase precision levels, youneed to trigger artificial earthquakes
and increase the seismic waves
passing through the magma, but thiscannot realistically be done on landbecause it would affect thesurrounding towns. For submarine
volcanoes, this method is possible. If
you clear it with the local fishingindustry, you can survey a wide area
by boat and freely trigger
earthquakes.

The most important result was abetter understanding of the seabedterrain. In the first observation
voyage, we collected data on theinternal structure and composition of
the elevated geological formation
within the caldera. We used
multi-narrow beam echo sounders tomeasure the seabed landscape, andreflective seismic profiling withartificial earthquakes to measure thefault lines in the Earth’s crust. On thesecond voyage we filmed the ocean
floor using “SHINDAI-2K”, aremotely-operated vehicle.
The results confirmed that theelevated geological formation is ahuge lava dome roughly 10km indiameter, and part of the dome isactively emitting gas bubbles andhydrothermal plumes.

Yes. The last Kikai Caldera eruption
was 7300 years ago. After that thedome formed - by simple calculations
releasing roughly 40 cubic km of
magma. It needs to be confirmed, but
it’s probably the world’s largest lava
dome. It was formed over just 7300
years, the fastest speed among
Japan’s volcanoes. In other words, it
is an unusually active volcano.

Checking the visual feed from SHINDAI-2K

Sample from the ocean floor

How is this related to the eruption of
the giant caldera?

We still don’t know. If 40 cubic km of
magma have already left the magmapool, a giant eruption may not occur.
However, there could still be large
amounts of magma beneath the
The world’s largest lava
dome. During our recent voyage wedometook a lava sample from the dome. We
have to analyze this sample with ourWhat were the results of the Are you saying a giant volcano is other data.
forming within the Kikai Caldera?
observation voyage?

The general public isn’t aware of thatlevel of danger.
The government’s stance is “wecannot prepare for something that
may or may not happen”. So until now
there have been no countermeasures,
appropriate observation or research.
But this isn’t just an issue for Japan.
No research to date has used imaging
to show magma accumulation in the

Remote-controlled underwater robot SHINDAI-2K

04

Research at Kobe

Kikai Caldera
2nd observation voyage crew

Evaluating deposits andtraining maritime
specialists
What otherworking on?

researchareyou

Evaluating hydrothermal deposits.
There may be metal deposits within
the hydrothermal plumes foundduring the survey. Japan used toexport copper and silver, and we were
famous for ‘Kuroko (black ore)’deposits. Kuroko is a mineral that
includes high concentrations ofvarious metals such as zinc, lead,copper and silver. We know it isformed within submarine caldera, but
we
don’t
know
how.
The
hydrothermal plumes in the Kikai
caldera could be the first step towards
analyzing the process behind Kuroko
formation. We’re sharing thesefindings with the Japan Oil, Gas andMetalsNational
Corporation(JOGMEC) and it could help future
searches for resources.
What about future explorations andresearch?
As well as analyzing data fromprevious voyages, we will embark on
observation voyages this coming

compulsory for members of our
Graduate School of Science, and wehave started to take students fromother universities too. Japan cannot
fulfil its potential as a maritime
nation without trained specialists,
and to achieve this we must continue
our research and let students
experience the appeal of what we do.
As part of this, we’ve concluded anagreement with the Kochi University
Center for Advanced Maritime Core
Research. We will also partner with
the Kyoto University Sakurajima
Volcano Research Center, and wehave an agreement with JOGMEC to
October and next March. Imaging theevaluate the Kikai Caldera deposits.
Kikai Caldera is still a work inprogress. The magma reservoir isprobably located at a depth of ~10km, Finally, what is the significance ofso we have to carry out accurate predicting a giant caldera eruption?
imaging for that depth, and to survey
the magma-plumbing system we need
A giant caldera eruption would
an artificial seismic wave survey up to
cause
catastrophic damage, and somea depth of 30km. This is a huge
peoplesay “If it happens that’s theundertaking that cannot be done by
end,
there’s
no point predicting it”.
Kobe University alone – we have apartnership with the Japan Agency But should we really leave it at that?
for Marine-Earth Science and This isn’t an issue for us scientists toTechnology (JAMSTEC) so we are decide. The job of scientists is tohoping to work with them for the next determine the scale of the disaster insteps. Together with the Fukae Maru the event of an eruption, and how tosurveys, we plan to send divers to forecast this eruption – the next steps
shallow areas for collecting rock and are up to the Japanese people.
However, if the danger levels aremineral samples. The survey includes
understood,
certainconstant monitoring, but we will correctly
continue to gather basic data and national organizations may startevidence to make a long-term moving, and it is very important to
prepare the basic data for this. In
forecast.
order to prepare for a giant caldera
eruption, we need to raise awarenessHow are you training people?
among the general population, notjust the government. I want to
The Kikai Caldera survey voyages disseminate these research results
include members from our graduate very widely.
schools and other universities. There
are no other boats in Japanese
universities now with the same
capacity as Fukae Maru for surveys
and sea exploration training. From
this year the sea training course isConfirming a hydrothermal plume (red) withmulti-narrow beam echo sounder

Breaking ground in
genome-editing technology
A new biotech business venture in Kobe

SHINDAI-2K visuals –gas emissions

SHINDAI-2K visuals –underwater lava dome

05

06

“For better or worse, our technology cannot stop at theborders of Japan. ”

Professor Nishida (far right) in his research laboratory on Port Island

Genomes are the blueprints of living
creatures; chromosomes and genes
within all our cells encode information
about life. Genome editing technologythat can change these chromosomes andgenes has developed rapidly. From drug
development
andgenetherapy,
improvements to crops and livestock, tocreating useful microorganisms toreplace petroleum, this technology has
started to have a significant impact on
our societies.
Professor NISHIDA Keiji (Graduate
School of Science, Technology andInnovation) has developed a new
genomeeditingtechnology
andestablished a business venture based on
his research findings. He is on the front
lines of genome editing in both businessand research.

Choosing the road less travelled
Prof. Nishida: After 5 years working on my researchin the United States, I returned to Japan and realizedthat my home country was lagging behind in genome
editing technology. Many people are involved inresearch that uses genome editing technology, but not
so many people are researching genome editing itself.
Genome editing is a tool that can impact every field
related to living things. I also chose this line of researchbecause I could see it potentially complementing otherresearch at Kobe University.

07

Originally from Kobe, he obtained his PhD researching
evolution on a molecular level at the Tokyo University
Graduate School of Science, Department of Biological
Sciences. For 5 years from 2008 he continued his research at
Harvard Medical School in the United States.
Prof. Nishida: Research into evolution looks at thecomposition of organisms in the past. Many areas ofthis field have already been thoroughly covered byother researchers, so I had to specialize further. I
decided that it would be a good idea to look for adifferent field of study, and I shifted my research focus
to synthetic biology, a growing discipline in the UnitedStates. Synthetic biology can be described as theprocess of imitating evolution – creating livingorganisms. In the US I worked on research thatinvolved adding a mechanism to yeast cells that
responds to magnetic fields. Manipulating the genes
effectively was a vital part of this, and I experienced acomplex and frustrating process. All roads led togenome editing research.

was a field that could complement and reported by many media outlets inmany of Professor Kondo’s research Japan. In April of the same year, Kobe
areas.
University’s Graduate School of Science,
Technology and Innovation opened. ThisThe year before he came back to Japan, Graduate School covers education andtherevolutionary
gene
editing research in fields from natural sciences totechnology CRISPR/Cas9 was developed. business administration areas such as
intellectual property rights and finance,
Prof. Nishida: I was very with the aim of commercializing research
impressedbytheresearch findings.
breakthrough. Ideally CRISPR/Cas9
slices the DNA at the target point, This cross-disciplinary approachand the DNA repairs itself into a new bore fruit in February 2017 whenaltered form, but the alteration does Professor Nishida established a
not always go as planned, and business venture based on his
sometimes the target cell dies of research. His new biotech company iscytotoxicity. I aimed to create a called “Bio Palette Co., Ltd”.
genome editing technology that does
not cleave DNA, and so I developed a Prof. Nishida: When you are
new genome editing technology putting your research results out into
called “Target-AID” that uses a society, I think that in addition to
deaminase enzyme. I had been publishing a paper, it’s alsointerested in deaminases since my important to demonstrate its
time in the United States.
usefulness in a way that is easy tounderstand, such as through a
In total it took over two years from company. Ever since my stay in the
beginning the research to publishing United States I had been thinking
a paper, but I established the about commercializing my researchtechnology over 3 or 4 months of results, so the establishment of theexperiments after coming up with the Graduate
Schoolof
Science,concept. It is comparatively easy to Technology and Innovation was
make a breakthrough in unexamined perfect timing for me. I don’t think I
research fields, so I think it’s could have started up a business
importantforresearchers
to venture in such a short time atchallenge themselves by choosing another university.
newer research fields.

From research result
to patent

Why it has to beinternationalsums of investments, and at the sametime there are increasing disputes
concerning patent rights. You have to be
speedy when it comes to raising funds
and creating a strategy for intellectual
property rights. In May 2017, Professor
Nishida received approximately 400
million yen (roughly 3.7 million dollars) ofinvestment funds from a major fund with
headquarters in Boston, USA.
Prof. Nishida: For better or worse,
our technology cannot stop at theborders of Japan. We must see theoverseas market as our main
battleground. We have to understandthe current global conditions forpatents and intellectual property
strategy, and it is necessary tonegotiate, including alliances withoverseas universities and businessventures. By working with a strong
fund in the main arena of the UnitedStates, I want to create a businessframework that can develop globally.
Genome editing technology canpotentially be applied to manydifferent fields, including medicine,
agriculture and microorganisms. At
Bio Palette Co., Ltd we have started
building the business, and we arechoosing our targets. I think that
university professors are in very good
positions to work on businessventures. I hope to continue
contributing to society through bothresearch and business.

Editor’s note: This article can also
On August 5, 2016, his paper was In the United States, genome editing be found on the Research at Kobe
published in the online edition of Science, business ventures are receiving huge website under “Researchers”

The breakthroughs
In 2013 he returned to Japan and took up his current post at
Kobe University. He works with Professor KONDO Akihiko,Dean of the Graduate School of Science, Technology andInnovation, who is currently leading a research project at
Innovative Bioproduction Kobe.
Prof. Nishida: I also had the options of staying at
Harvard or returning to University of Tokyo, but I
decided that Professor Kondo Akihiko’s research team
could provide the best environment for me to pursue
my interests. When I started at Kobe University I hadn’t
decided on my research topic, so I chose to researchtechnology development for genome editing because it

The website of Professor Nishida’s new business venture Bio Palette Co.,Ltd08

International Clinical Cancer
Research Center opens
On April 2, an opening ceremony andprivate viewing was held for the new
International
ClinicalCancerResearch Center (ICCRC), part of theKobe University Graduate School of
Medicine and University Hospital.

The International Clinical Cancer
Research Center, headed by Professor
Tetsuo AJIKI (Kobe University
Graduate School of Medicine),
opened on Port Island within the
Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster

as a new base for medical care,research and education. It is partially
funded by Sysmex Corporation. The
Center was established to expand
opportunities for the next generationof medical specialists and contributeto international medicine incooperation with Kobe University’s
School and Graduate School of
Medicine and Kobe University
Hospital.
The Kobe Biomedical Innovation
Cluster is the largest in Japan,
currently incorporating 336 medicalorganizations, research organizations
and companies. Within this group,
the Center takes a role as aninternational
base
for
the
development of advanced surgicaltreatment for cancer, next-generation
medical treatment, research anddevelopment for new medical
equipment.

Basic principles of the center:
Patient-focused, training physiciansrich in compassion and humanity,
development and promotion ofadvanced medical treatment, global
contribution in the medical sphere,
and strengthening local collaboration
in medicine.
The center provides three courses
funded by Sysmex Corporation:

Overview of the Funded Courses
Course titles:(1) Development and Application ofAdvanced
MedicalTechnology
Department(2) Advanced Cancer Research andTreatment Department(3) International Medical Cooperation and Promotion Department
Running period:
April 2017 – March 2020
Key research themes:(1) Application of leading-edge
technologies, such as artificial
intelligence and robotics technology,
to the surgical domain(2) Establishment of surgicaltreatment methods for cancer thatare minimally invasive and offer
complete cures09

All participants enjoyed stimulating
lectures and their study at Kobe. They
also got a chance to experience
Japanese culture and exchange ideas
with Kobe University students. Visits
to SPring-8 and SACLA wereparticularly highly acclaimed byparticipants.

‘Kobe SALAD 2017’

Kobe SALAD 2017

Summer School at Kobe University‘One-week experience inKobe University’also enjoyed a visit to research centersnear the campus, including the Ksupercomputer, SPring-8 (the world’s
During the week of July 10-15, Kobe largest synchrotron radiation facility)
University hosted our 3rd summer and SACLA (SPring-8 Angstrom
school on natural sciences: ‘One-week Compact Free Electron Laser).
experience in Kobe University’. This
program is organized by five naturalsciences-focused graduate schools(Science, Engineering, Agricultural
Science, Maritime Sciences, andSystem Informatics) to invite
students from partner universities
around the world. This year, 18
students from Singapore, China, thePhilippines, Indonesia and Taiwan
participated in the program alongside
students from Kobe University.
The week started with opening
remarks from Professor Hiroshi
Takeda (President) and Professor
INOUE
Noriyuki(Executive
Vice-President
inChargeofInternational
Exchange).
They
expressed their delight in welcoming
participants from around the worldand hopes to continue this program to
expandinternational
student
exchange. Students took lectures inEnglish across the five graduate
schools and broadened theirknowledge on specific topics in thenatural sciences. They participated ina ride on Kobe University training
ship Fukae Maru, hands-on training
in visualization using π-Viz Studioand a field trip to the Food Resources
Education and Research Center. They

The annual Summer School of Asian
Law and Dispute Management(“SALAD”) was held at Kobe
University from August 21 to August
25. The program has been an
important part of the Global Master’s
Program in Law (GMAP in Law) since2014. It aims to gather Asian law
students, academics, researchers, andlegal experts working in international
disciplines. The participants attend
lectures and seminars in English on
the latest aspects of business law anddispute resolution in Asia given bylecturers from Kobe University,
partner universities, law firms,
arbitral institutions, and commercial
courts in various Asian jurisdictions.
This year 47 participants from China,
Macau, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea andJapan took part in this intensive
program.

Visit to K supercomputer

Field trip to the Food Resources Education and Research Center10International
voicesApproximately 1,200 international
students from countries aroundthe world are currently studying at
Kobe University. In this corner,
ourinternational
students
introduce their native countries
and offer some insights on
studying abroad in Japan.

Q

Why did you choose Kobe
University?

I wanted to study in Japan, firstly
because Japan is strong in thenatural sciences, and secondly
because I read a book by IKEGAYA
Yuji, a neuroscience researcher at
Tokyo University, and decided
that I wanted to become aresearcher too.
I’m part of a program thatallows 100 students from theRepublic of Korea to study atnational universities in Japan.
Among the choice of universities,
the biology curriculum here wasthe closest match to what I wanted
to study.

Q

Your Japanese is very
good. How did you learn
the language?

I like Japanese dramas, and I
learned the hiragana and katakana
scripts at middle school. I choseJapanese as my second foreign
language for high school, but I
only learned simple greetings. The

GANG Sunhwa
3rd year undergraduate at the Faculty of
Science, Department of Biology
Originally from the Republic of Korea, shecame to Kobe University in October 2014.
Recently she likes using the Japanese phrase“ki no sei” (maybe I’m imagining things) withher friends.

program I joined included a
6-month preparatory program inJapanese at a Korean university,
so I studied intensively frommorning until night. After I
arrived here there was another6-month Japanese program, so in
total I studied fairly intensively forabout a year.

friends from my faculty, and goout with other students from
Korea to do various fun activities.
Recently I started k-pop style
dancing. I’m still a beginner, but
I’m going to keep at it.

Q

What are your dreams forthe future?

Q

What aspects of Japan doyou feel are different
from Korea?

From a food perspective, Japan
doesn’t have many spicy dishes.
For example, even if the food soldat convenience stores in Japansays “spicy” on the packet, it often
isn’t. When I go back to Korea inthe summer vacation, I realize that
we have a lot of “red” food.
I was also surprised by Japan’scafé culture. In Korea drinks are
the main feature in cafés, andcakes and sandwiches are a side
option, but in Japan lots of cafes
serve pasta and lunch menus too.
At first I didn’t think of theseplaces as cafés, so I thought thatJapan didn’t have many cafés

Inspired to becomea researcher in JapanFor this issue we spoke to an international student fromJapan’s close neighbor, the Republic of Korea. GANG
Sunhwa is an undergraduate at the Faculty of Science. She
talked to us about the differences between Japan and Korea,
things that surprised her about Kobe University, and her
dreams for the future.

Changgyeonggung Palace, Secret Garden

Gwanghwamun Square[laughs]. In Korea, we think it’s
strange to have lunch in a café.
Maybe it comes from thesedifferences, but in Korea people
often study for one or two hours incafés over a coffee. There are manycafés near universities, andstudents use them a lot, but inJapan students don’t seem to dothat so much. Sometimes I thinkit’s a bit hard finding a place tostudy around town.

Q

Did anything surprise you
about Kobe University?

Many universities in Korea are in
the middle of busy towns, so I was
surprisedbythenaturalsurroundings at Kobe University.
It’s peaceful, the air is fresh, andit’s a great place to focus on
studying and research. There arecafeterias and libraries, but I
wouldn’t mind somewhere close to
the campus to hang out as well[laughs].

안녕하세요!
Hello in Korean

11

Nurimaru APEC House

Q

What are you studying at
the moment?

I’m an undergraduate student, so
I’m studying a wide range ofsubjects. I was initially interested
in the study of behavior, and I
wanted to learn about the links
between brain functions andactions. My field of interest wasquite narrow, and the Departmentof Biology covers a very wide area,
so to start with I had to study someareas I wasn’t that interested in,and my first two years were a bit
tough at times. But thanks to thissystem, I also discovered
interesting areas that I hadn’t
known about before. Now I’m athird year, I’m looking forward to
taking classes in my initial fields ofinterest, such as neurobehavior.

Q

Where’s your favorite
place on campus?

I really like the Centennial Hall.
The view is very beautiful, and I
used to eat lunch there a lot. The
cherry blossoms around theFaculty of Agriculture are
beautiful too. Kobe University issurrounded by nature, and I enjoy
taking walks around the campus.

Q

What are you doing when
you’re not studying?

There is a coffee bean shop near
my house that I visit a lot, and I’ve
got to know the shop owner andthe other customers. We are allfrom different age groups, but I
often spend time with them andhave tea. I also go out to eat with

Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea, located at thesouthern part of the Korean peninsula, has apopulation of roughly 51 million people. The
capital is Seoul. Dramas, films and musicfrom this country are popular worldwide,and many people visit from Japan.

I still want to do research.
Studying a wide range of different
subjects here made me interested
in other fields, and I’m still not
sure what field to specialize in, but
I want to become a researcher.
When I start my fourth year I’ll
visit the research labs here. If I
find a lab that fits my interests I
want to continue to graduate
school at Kobe University. If otheruniversities have good programs,
I’ll think about that too.

View of Mt Rokko from Tsurukabuto 1st Campus

12approach the University Co-op. The
last step is asking the cafeteria staff tomake the dishes, then we talk to them,adjust for the cost of ingredients andefficiency, and the dish is complete.
We aim to create a healthy menu
using lots of vegetables and seasonal
ingredients, but we also need it to beapproved by the University Co-op andchosen by students. As well as safety
and cost, the dish should also be as
tasty and filling as the rest of the menu.
For example, for meat we often use
cheap and healthy chicken. We ask thecafeteria staff to count the number ofdishes purchased, and we use this dataand opinions to come up with newmenus.

COMMUNITY IMPACT
Table for Two - Kobe University Project

Never dine alone:a healthy cafeteria
menu that connects
the world

Table For Two
Kobe University Project
Representative

The popular “TFT menu” is a special menu that appears
in the Kobe University cafeterias twice a year. Part of themeal costs go to provide school lunches for children indeveloping countries. We spoke to two representatives
for the Table for Two Kobe University Project.

WATANABE Minori

3rd year, Faculty of Agriculture
I’ ve been actively volunteering since
middle school. Recently I decided to starta project related to children indeveloping countries, and I feel like myfuture path is starting to take shape.

Table For Two Kobe University
Project Representative

ASAI Mina

3rd year, School of Business Administration
In developing countries, some people lack thebasic essentials. I want this project to draw
attention to this reality. In the future I want towork in a business linked to benefiting
developing countries.
Left: bibimbap udon noodles, above: sanshoku-don,Below: chicken and vegetable vinegar marinade

Among the world’s population of
7 billion, roughly 1 billion people
suffer from malnutrition. At theother end of the scale, around 2
billion people are obese. “Table forTwo (TFT)” is a movement thatstarted in 2007 in Japan to help
resolve this dietary imbalance. The
independent donation initiative
spread to 14 countries including
America and Switzerland, andmany businesses, groups andstudents are participating within
Japan. TFTKP is one such group.

where it covers the cost of one school
meal. There are rules for thenutritional balance of these dishes, andevery time someone in a developed
country eats one of these healthy
meals, they can feed a child for one
meal. In other words, we tackle
malnutrition in developing countries
at the same time as obesity and otherlifestyle-related diseases in developed
countries.

Watanabe: At the end of 2015 there
were 647 businesses and organizations involved in TFT. Students fromFirstly, please tell us about various universities, including us, aretheorganizationand participating in the TFT University
Association. In developing countries
significance of TFT.
many children from poor families
work, and can’t go to school. The idea
Asai: TFT means that when youis that if they go to school in order tobuy a certain dish or food product in a eat lunch, they can improve theirdeveloped country, as a rule 20 yen of education, which could create athe cost is sent to a developing country, foothold for escaping poverty.

13

What are the main
activities of TFTKP?
Asai: We started by suggesting TFT
to eateries in Kobe about 6 years ago.
After that, we submitted a proposal to
the Kobe University Co-op [anon-profit cooperative co-owned by
students and employees], and thecafeterias started to offer our TFT
menu. These are our two main
activities.

We visit each place every so often tosee how they’re doing. Sometimes
we’re invited to food-related events,and some shops offer TFT as a one-day
special. At Kobe Garden Café 2016, an
event on the theme of “world food”
including Kobe eateries, shops, andartists, we were honored to introduce
the TFT project onstage. We’re
currently involved with about 10
eateries.
Asai: The University Co-op offers
TFT dishes for a few weeks twice a year
as part of the cafeteria menu. Currently
we have 24 members. We work
together to come up with recipesuggestions for sides, mains, rice bowls
and noodle-based dishes. We narrow
it down to 10 ideas, then after we’ve
tried making them ourselves weIs there anything you’d liketo improve?

Asai: We’re happy that people likethe TFT menu, but I feel like many
people don’t know what TFT is about.
At the moment people at Kobe
University are eating 7000 TFT meals
during the two weeks it is offered in
the cafeteria. But at the same time I
often hear conversations like “What is
TFT?” “I don’t know”. Ideally, whensomeone is wavering between theeveryday katsu-don (pork cutlet ricebowl) or the TFT sanshoku-don, I wantthem to think “I choose sanshoku-don,because it helps feed children indeveloping countries”. I want everyone
Watanabe: This time one of my to understand the significance of TFT.
menu
ideas,
sanshoku-don
Watanabe: We’re posting about(three-colored rice bowl) was selected.
I’m very happy that one of my ideas TFT activities on social media for thewill help collect donations. The general public, but as a member ofUniversity Co-op TFT menu includes TFT-UA, I think it’s important to
a 10 yen donation for each dish - we spread the word among students too.
adapt our donations based on prices
at each facility.

What do students think ofyour dishes?
Asai: Lots of people tell us that
the TFT menu is always tasty. We’ revery grateful that awareness seems
to be spreading. When I see someone
ordering the TFT menu in thecafeteria I always think “Ooh!”(laughs).

How are you planning todevelop this project?
Watanabe: To raise the profile of
TFT among students, I want toincrease the places that offer TFT
dishes both inside and outside theUniversity, including eateries near
our University and lunchboxes soldat the University Co-op. I want tosuggest recipe ideas to eateries aswell. We’ re having meetings andstudy camps with TFT associationsat other universities to share ideas.

Watanabe: We also sell healthyrusks at the university festival, which
Asai: I want to start a communiare popular every year. Each purchasecations team that raises awarenessincludes a 5 yen TFT donation.
all year round, including new
We’ re looking forward to selling
publicity initiatives. We’ ll continue
other things this year.
to discuss ideas and actively work on
new plans.

Watanabe: We often get enquiries
from eateries in Kobe who want toinclude TFT in their menus. We visit
them, check if their dishes are suitable, and if they qualify we include
them in the program. We collect a 20
yen donation for each meal. It isn’t
just meals – some eateries also offer
tea.
Stall at Kobe University festival “Rokkosai”

Members of the Table for Two Kobe University Project14

International special feature

Strong partnership with Europe
A word with the experts
Kobe University has strong ties with European
universities and research institutions, and wehave established two offices in Europe (inBelgium and Poland). We asked Professor YUI
Kiyomitsu (Executive Assistant to the President
in Charge of International Collaboration) andProfessor YOSHIDA Ken-ichi (Executive
Director of the Kobe University Brussels
European Centre) to tell us why Europe isimportant, and their vision for future activities
with Europe.
Europe as a strategic partner:
Why Europe?
Prof. Yui: The world is now in transition and Japanand Europe face societal challenges. Thanks to our common
values, we found it easy to start collaborating with
European researchers to tackle these issues. The first
official collaboration for Kobe University was participationin the EU Institute in Japan, Kansai (EUIJ-Kansai), a

consortium that manages EU studies programs anddisseminates information about EU affairs in Japan. Kobe
University now has more than 130 partners in Europe,and it’s the most popular study abroad destination for ourstudents.

Kobe University’s activities with and inEuropeProf. Yui: First of all, I must say that Kobe University’s
collaboration with Europe is very active, with two overseas
offices in Europe, one in Brussels and one in Kraków. We
hold annual symposia and workshops in Brussels, as well
as seminars in Europe with Japanese governmental
institutions including the Japan Foundation.
Prof. Yoshida: Workshops in Brussels are usually
held by Kobe University’s researchers about 10 times in ayear and partly supported by the University’s budget. Sinceworkshops are bottom-up projects, I encourage researchers
to apply for support from the University.

Interviewee
Professor YOSHIDA Ken-ichi (left)
Executive Director of the Kobe University
Brussels European Centre (KUBEC)
Graduate School of Science, Technology andInnovation

Prof. Yui: Another new initiative
is a joint lecture series program with
our European partners. Through thisprogram, Kobe University sends oraccepts professors to lecture in Kobe
or at a partner university. This
program started with Jagiellonian
University in 2015, where our Liaison
Office in Kraków is located.
Prof. Yoshida: We also haveexperience participating in European
research projects. From September
2013 to February 2017, Kobe
University worked as a consortium
member of the Japan-EU Partnershipin Innovation, Science and Technology(JEUPISTE). Participation in thisProf. Yoshida: I’ve heard that too.
project enables Kobe University to
Lastyear we held a symposium
share European research policies withcelebrating
150
years
of
European funding agencies.
Japan-Belgium friendship and an
Prof. Yui: Participation in academic lunch with the Belgian King
Erasmus+ also provides us with and Queen. We were the only Japanese
opportunities for student and staff university to host this memorable
mobility. We have seven Erasmus+ event - an example that shows Kobe
partners in Europe at the moment, and University’s strong presence and close
withEuropeanwe’ve been adopted as a Jean Monnet connectionsorganizations.
Centre of Excellence and the JeanWe also initiate participation in
Monnet Chair program.
European research and education
projects, like Horizon 2020 and
Kobe University’s strengths Erasmus+. Since Mr. Patrick Vittetin collaboration with
Philippe, the former Head of Japanand Russia Desks, DirectorateEurope
General for Research and Innovation
Prof. Yoshida: Kobe University at the European Commission, waswas the first Japanese university to appointed as advisor to KUBEC lastestablish an overseas office in Brussels. February, KUBEC has joined Unilion,
We recognize that Brussels has long the network of overseas offices inbeen home to representatives of Europe started to support applications
numerous European and international for European grants. I expect KUBEC
institutions with headquarters at the activities will strengthen with Mr.
Vittet-Philippe’s assistance.
heart of Europe.
Prof. Yui: I’ve heard that European
or Japanese government staff
sometimes say, ‘mentioning Kobe
University always brings up something
about Europe’.

Prof. Yui: The Liaison Office inKrakow works well as a base forcollaboration with Central and Eastern
Europe. Kobe University received the
Visegrad University Studies Grant andfrom October 2017 we are starting acourse titled “The Place of V4
Countries in Europe and Japan” tostudy the importance of Central andEastern Europe within the EU, links
between Japan and the region, and its
position in Japan.

Future Perspectives
Prof. Yui: Kobe University is now
expanding activities from Brussels tocentral and southern Europe. Since ourinternational collaboration withcentral Europe has strengthened
through the Liaison Office in Krakow,
our next target is southern Europe.
Prof. Yoshida: Speaking ofsouthern Europe, we’re just starting
government-academia collaborationon the ‘Smart City’ project with
Barcelona, one of Kobe’s sister cities.
Since Barcelona and Marseille aresister cities of Kobe, we will contributeto governmental collaboration using
these networks in southern Europe.

Interviewee
Professor YUI Kiyomitsu (right)

Executive Assistant to the President in Charge ofInternational Collaboration
Graduate School of Humanities
Liaison Office in Krakow (est. 2015)15

Brussels European Centre (est. 2010)16

International special feature

Strong partnership with Europe
Erasmus+ mobility with Jagiellonian University
In May and June 2017, three professors and threeadministrative staff from Kobe University participated in
the Erasmus+ mobility programme with the Jagiellonian
University.
Kobe University has been actively participating in the
Erasmus+ Programme with several partner universities.
The Jagiellonian University is one of our dynamic exchange
partner universities in Europe.
In 1998, Kobe University started collaboration with the
Jagiellonian University in the humanities, expanding thiscollaboration to a university-wide agreement, including
student exchange in 2012. Since 2013, we have been
members of the EU-Japan Advanced Multidisciplinary
Master Studies project (EU-JAMM) consortium. In 2015,
Kobe University established a liaison office within theCentre for Comparative Studies of Civilizations at the
Jagiellonian University. Our universities have co-operated
to organise various programmes and events, such as joint
lecture series in Japanese Studies and Law and thesymposium ‘New Research Perspectives from Japan and
Poland’ in 2016.
On 15-19 May, Dr Joanna Guzik (JU Faculty ofInternational and Political Studies) visited the Graduate
School of Humanities at Kobe University. During her 5-day
stay in Kobe, she delivered intensive lecture series, together
with her host Prof. Kiyomitsu Yui, and led a seminar on‘Migration and Multiculturalism: Cases of EU, Poland andJapan.’ During the seminar, she examined societal
challenges concerning multiculturalism from theperspectives of the EU, Poland and Japan, together with
Prof. Kazunari Sakai (Intercultural Studies, Kobe
University). She also held a seminar to introduce the
Jagiellonian University to students interested in study
abroad programmes, which provided them an opportunity
to learn about JU and student life in Poland.

in Japanese culture’ at the Centre for Comparative Studies
of Civilisations, a public lecture ‘Monster and Disaster:Imagination and aesthetics of catastrophe in modern
Japan’ and an online lecture ‘Monster and Disaster:
Modern philosophy about monstrosity’ in Academia
Electronica. Moreover, he gave a presentation titled ‘Brief
history of Japanese modern aesthetics’ for members of the
Department of Aesthetics, followed by a discussion oninternational research collaboration.

My first stay in Krakow was really exciting, thanks
to the hospitality of the Jagiellonian University
professors and staff. It was also a significant visit
for our academic relationship in order to cultivate
future collaboration in the humanities.
(Prof. Ohashi)

Prof. Masato Karashima (Graduate
School of Intercultural Studies) visitedthe Institute of Intercultural Studies –his host was Dr Franciszek Czech, andthe Institute of Middle and Far East
where he was received by Dr Ewa
Kamińska. Prof. Karashima delivereda seminar on Japanese society andculture, prompting a vivid discussion
with faculty members and students of
the Department of Intercultural
Studies. During his stay at JU heparticipated in Dr Kaminska’s course
on Japanese society and culture. Bothscholars discussed joint short-term
carried out at other universities. Last
student study programmes.
but not least, they had the opportunity
This programme gave me a to learn some Polish as part of thewonderful
opportunity
to training, enjoyed visits to the JU
exchange ideas and opinions with Collegium Maius and the Wawel Castle
JU scholars and students. In and walked around the beautiful city
particular, I was excited to see the of Kraków.

JU students planning to study at
Kobe within our exchange scheme.
(Prof. Karashima)
On 19-23 June, three administrative
staff from Kobe University participatedin the Erasmus+ Staff Training Week
‘JUst a Week’ organised in Kraków. On
these days, they discussed theinternationalizationofhighereducation with other participants fromuniversities in Europe, including
Spain, Belgium, the UK and Hungary
as well as non-EU countries such as
China, Mexico and Kenya. During theone-week training, they attended
seminars focused on international
affairs
includinginternational
co-operation within Erasmus+ andinternational support services. They
also get to know international activities

Here are the comments of ourparticipants:

international support at various
higher education institutions.
The training was incredible andconvinced
me
that
we,
administrative staff, can play animportant role in the process ofinternationalization. I hope andbelieve that every participant,myself included, can use thisknowledge
topromoteinternational activities at each
institution. Many thanks to all the
JU staff and other participants
who made this week such amemorable one, and the KU staff
who made it possible for me toattend this useful training.

Taking part in the Erasmus+ Staff
Training Week was a precious
experience for me. It strongly
inspired me not only to improvemyself but also in contributing to (Yoshiko Yamada, Research
the international strategy of Kobe Support Section, Graduate
University.
School of Engineering).
(Yuriko Okuno, Student Affairs
Section, Faculty of Global Human
JUst a Week gave me brilliant
Sciences)

ideas regarding how to makeuniversities
betterforinternational
students
andresearchers.

Throughout the week, I had theopportunity to participate ininteresting workshops and(Yuto Tokumoto, Student Affairs
seminars conducted by JU staff
Section, Graduate School ofand guest speakers and was able Law).
to experience and learn about
practices concerning

Dr Joanna Guzik visits Kobe University

My stay at Kobe University was a great experience,
thanks to the warm welcome and kind support I
received from Prof. Kiyomitsu Yui. Daily meetings
with professors, the seminar I was honoured todeliver, as well as classes with students, inspired meby providing new ideas for conducting my researchand teaching activities. I am very grateful.
(Dr J. Guzik)
On 22-26 May, two professors from Kobe University
visited the Jagiellonian University. Prof. Kantaro Ohashi(Graduate School of Humanities) stayed at the JU Instituteof Philosophy, his host being Dr Jakub Petri. Prof. Ohashi
held a series of lectures titled ‘Recent trends of nostalgia

Professor Masato Karashima at Jagiellonian University
Erasmus+ Staff Training Week ‘JUst a Week’ in Kraków

17

18

International Collaboration

Joint symposium with Beijing Foreign Studies University

EuropeActivities at the Kobe University Brussels European Centre (KUBEC)
Established in September 2010, the Kobe University
Brussels European Office is the first centre founded in
Brussels by a Japanese university. It is our primary basefor strengthening collaboration in education and research
between Japan and Europe.
New Advisor appointed to KUBECIn February 2017, Mr. Patrick Vittet-Phillipe, formerly
Head of Japan and Russia Desks at the Directorate-Generalfor Research and Innovation, European Commission, wasappointed as the new Advisor to KUBEC. As part of his
previous responsibilities, Mr. Vittet-Philippe regularly gave
presentations to Kobe University on the European
Commission’s policy for international cooperation in researchand higher education, and encouraged the University todevelop its activities in Europe, particularly throughparticipation in European research programmes.
Comment from Mr. Patrick Vittet-Phillipe:‘I am truly delighted and honored to have been asked
to contribute to the Initiative for Excellence launched by
one of the most forward-looking universities in Japan. I
am impressed by Kobe University’s resolute engagement

Asia

in international research activities, particularly with
Europe, and by its commitment to meet the challenges
and expectations of 21st Century education in the global
environment. Engaging in a constructive dialogue
between Japan and Europe, and building innovativeinternational partnerships represent, in my view, the best
ways to develop students with a global mindset and findanswers to the World’s key societal challenges’.
Unilion Core Group Meeting
On September 21, Kobe University hosted the Unilion CoreGroup Meeting. Unilion is an informal network of 31 members
collaborating together in Brussels and representing 93
Universities. Kobe University joined the network in February
2017 to strengthen activities in Brussels.
In the meeting, Professor Ken-ichi Yoshida (Executive
Director of KUBEC) introduced the latest developments in
education, research and innovation, key international
activities with special focus on Europe, and discussed newopportunities for cooperation with European universities
and research centres.

On June 23, the Kobe University Center for Asian Academic
Collaboration and Beijing Foreign Studies University jointly
hosted the Second Beijing Foreign Studies University – Kobe
University Joint Symposium at Kobe University.
At the start of the symposium, a signing ceremony took
place for the updated Kobe University and Beijing Foreign
Studies University International Collaborative Research Base
Action Plan. Both universities pledged to deepen cooperationin the areas of social sciences and humanities including legal
studies, international relations, subcultures, andJapanese/Chinese language studies.
In the symposium, the morning session focused on social
sciences under the topic of “Japan and China’s Relationshipin Diversifying World Economics” and the afternoon session
focused on the humanities with the theme of “East Asian
Cultures, Languages and Nations as ‘Spaces forCommunication”. Both universities examined further
developments in collaborative relationships with otherresearchers in China, Asia and worldwide.

Joint symposium with Beijing Foreign Studies University

Forum for Leaders of Japanese Studies
The 5th Annual Conference: the Forum for Leaders ofJapanese Studies was held on September 27. The Kobe
University Center for Asian Academic Collaboration hosts
this event every year, and it demonstrates how collaborative
exchange among researchers in this field is significant for
global society. This year we were honored to host eminent
researchers in the field of Japanese Studies from Cambodia,
China, Vietnam, and South Korea.
In the morning session, attendees discussed the future
direction of the forum and their expectations for Kobe
University. The afternoon session was held on Asian
perspectives of Japan in the age of global structural transition.
The event ended with an active and thought-provoking
discussion. This conference has further strengthened theexisting network of leaders in Japanese Studies by sharing
insights from various academic fields through the lens ofJapan.
On the previous day, the 2nd KU-FTU Cooperation
Symposium titled “Role and Prospect of Japan-Vietnam
Academic Exchange” was held. This symposium aimed tostrengthen the partnership between Kobe University andForeign Trade University (FTU), where Kobe University
Hanoi Liaison Base is located. Participants from FTU alsojoined the Forum for Leaders of Japanese Studies to explore
research collaboration between our institutions.

Americas
Students visit from University of Southern California
Unilion Core Group Meeting

Kobe University hosted 10 undergraduate students fromthe University of Southern California’s Business Japanese
Course. The initial two weeks of the course are spent at the
USC campus to develop language skills, learn Japanesebusiness customs, and focus on case studies. The class moves
to Japan for the second half of the course to obtain morepractical knowledge about Japanese business and society
through company visits, business lectures and other activities.
During their stay, the delegation members had opportunities
to attend lectures, visit local companies including newspapers
and sake breweries, and collaborate with Kobe University
students. They also enjoyed a baseball game with a stadium
tour.

New KUBEC Advisor Mr. Vittet-Philippe

Visegrad Project kicks off
Using the Visegrad University Studies Grants, from October
2017 Kobe University has started a course titled “The Placeof V4 Countries in Europe and Japan” to study the importanceof Central and Eastern Europe within the EU, links between
Japan and the region, and its position in Japan. The course
is open to Kobe University students including exchange
students from our partner universities, and taught withcooperation from scholars in our V4 partner universities:
Jagiellonian University (Poland), Eötvös Loránd University(Hungary), Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia),
and Charles University (Czech). This course is also planned

19

to form part of the Kobe University Educational Program on
Current Japan, an English and Japanese-taught program
focusing on current issues in Japan.
On May 29, Kobe University held the Visegrad Project
Kick-Off Workshop titled “Prospects of Visegrad Project:Comparative Studies on Migration and Social Movements
in V4 Countries, Japan and Asia” at Jagiellonian University
in Kraków, Poland.

Visit from USC Business Japanese Course

20KOBE UNIVERSITYFounded in 1902
4 campuses 10 faculties 15 graduate schools
16,144 students
including 1,201 international students
comprising over 85 nationalities
3,741 staff
Each=1,000 students= international students

including 1,641 teaching staff
2,100 administrative staff
135 faculty staff in attached schools

Partner Universities
Kobe University currently has 392 partner agreements in 60 countries/regions.
EuropeNorth America
31

Asia

139
186
Middle East
12
Africa7

South America
8

Oceania
9

Faculties and Graduate Schools

KYOTO
OSAKA

TOKYO

・Letters / Humanities
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・Human Development and Environment
・Law・Economics
・Business Administration
・Science
・Medicine・Health Sciences
・Engineering
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・Agriculture / Agricultural Science
・Maritime Sciences
・International Cooperation Studies
・Science, Technology and Innovation(NEW!) Global Human Sciences
All data as of May 1, 2017