Kobe University Newsletter "Kaze"

Vol. 02

RESEARCH
New technology reveals hidden danger

April 2017

EDUCATION
Gateway to success in global business
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Fruitful enterprise in rural Kenya

Kobe insights

Kobe (University) Beef
The city of Kobe is world famous for its beef
– it even became the namesake of Americanbasketball player Kobe Bryant. In fact, beef
only became part of the Japanese diet a little
over a hundred years ago. Out of the species
native to Japan, Tajima cattle from Hyogo
prefecture (a variety of Japanese black cattle)
gained fame as the source of Kobe beef.
Authentic Kobe beef must come frompurebred Tajima cattle and fulfil the strict
guidelines set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association.
The meat is characterized by a very evenly
dispersed marbling of fat, unlike mostAmerican or European varieties. Due to thehigh levels of unsaturated fatty acids, Kobe
beef fat has a low melting point, giving it arich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture(it is often described as buttery).
There are rumors that Kobe cows are fed
beer, massaged and played classical music.
However, farmers have debunked this - thesecret behind quality Kobe beef is simply care,attention, and a healthy diet.
Since 2005, the Food Resources Education
and Research Center in our Graduate Schoolof Agricultural Science has been producing its
own brand: “Kobe University Beef”. Around100 cattle are kept at the Center, and every
year roughly 30 are shipped out forcommercial use. The cattle roam freely within
the spacious grounds from a young age,grazing on high-quality grass harvested at theCenter until they are shipped out. To choose
the best breeding cows for commercial beef,
the Research Center selects cows by
identifying and analyzing the genes that give
Kobe beef its special characteristics.
Kobe University Beef has taken first prize
at regional competitions, and made anappearance in Japanese retailers such as
Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo andthe Isetan online shop.

In this issue...
SPOTLIGHT
3 Collaborating to solve global issues: the new Faculty of Global Human Sciences
RESEARCH AT KOBE
6 New technology reveals hidden danger
9 Research institute applies hi-tech analysis to social sciences
EDUCATION
10 Gateway to success in global business11 International voices
COMMUNITY IMPACT
13 Fruitful enterprise in rural Kenya
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
15 150 years of Japan-Belgium friendship
16 Advisory Board meeting
16 The 7th Kobe University Brussels European Centre Symposium
17 Forum for Leaders of Japanese Studies
17 Kobe University Academic Research and Education Forum (KUAREF) in Indonesia
SOCIAL MEDIA
18 Social Media

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.

FACT SHEET
19 Fact SheetContact us: intl-relations@office.kobe-u.ac.jp (International Affairs Planning Division)
Find out more:

www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en

SPOTLIGHT

Collaborating to solve global
issues: The new Faculty of
Global Human Sciences
In April 2017 the new Faculty of Global Human Sciences
was formed by combining the Faculty of Intercultural Studies
and the Faculty of Human Development. Overseas study andfieldwork is compulsory, aiming to train people who cancollaborate to solve global issues.

What do people study at the Faculty of Global Human Sciences?
We can’t list everything here. But by interviewing professors from the twoformer faculties, we found some common points.
interviewee
USHIMARU Atsushi

Interview 1: Professor OKADA Akihiro,
Head of the Faculty of Global Human Sciences Planning Office &Professor at the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment
A fusion that maximizes the theory and know-how it cultivated are don’t say “don’t go there because it’shuge assets in solving global issues. dangerous”, we teach them how tostrengths of both faculties

What was the catalyst for
creating this new faculty?

The new faculty aims to produce
globally-minded graduates who cansolve problems by collaborating witha diverse range of people. The Facultyof Human Development studied
human beings from birth until death,and the Faculty of Intercultural
Studies focused on internationality
and understanding of others. By
combining these traits, we cancultivate a new type of outwardlooking person.

In 2013 the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT) created new
guidelines for Japan’s national
universities. A key concept was how
far
Kobe
University
caninternationalize while preserving
what makes us unique. One
suggestion was to establish a Faculty
Sending 370 people overseasof Global Human Sciences. It was abold move, and some people were
So overseas training isunsure about it to start with.

How haschanged?

thesyllabus

The faculties of Intercultural Studies
and Human Development were bothissue-based, connecting diverse
disciplines to achieve a certain goal.
We’ve developed good programs inboth faculties during the past quarter
century, so we don’t need to make a
new faculty from scratch. Building on
the unique strengths of these faculties
is more important.

compulsory?

Yes. It’s known as the Global Studies
Program (GSP) and it’s a combinationof overseas study and fieldwork.
Other universities send entire
faculties of students overseas, but it’susually about 100 students, all in one
trip. There are 370 places in the new
faculty. It’s not easy to take that many
people overseas on a single trip, so
our professors have worked hard andcreated over 100 overseas programs.

What support will you
The concept for the new provide for students whenfaculty is global issues. they travel overseas?
Isn’t this a long way from Cost and safety are the biggest issues
the Faculty of Human right now. We understand it’s not
Development?
cheap. We’re planning to support

Yes, the Faculty of Human them with scholarships and other
Development was domestic-focused. programs. As for safety, all first-years
But I think the practical sensibility, have an intensive orientation. We

03protect themselves.

Do you have a message foryourstudents
about
studyingorworking
overseas?
If you go, it changes you. It’s different
from a vacation – their horizons arebroadened by talking to foreign
students and facing issues head on.
Yes, it costs money, but I’m convinced
they will gain something equally if not
more valuable.

Responding to global issues

This faculty is shaping up
to be quite unique.
Unlike many internationally-oriented
faculties in Japan, the new faculty
isn’t just about culture. “Human” isincluded in the faculty name, andhaving this area of specialization is agreat strength. It is a faculty wherestudents can confirm the validity of
their own fields by responding toconcrete issues.
Graduates from our predecessor
faculties were highly evaluated fortheir flexibility. Although they have a
specific area of expertise, they’re not
restricted by it. I hope that thestudents of the new faculty will be
flexible, strong, and kind: able tounderstand and collaborate withpeople from diverse backgrounds.

Connected to the world
by our natural surroundings

self-fertilize, etc. I study flowers andinsects as a set.
I’ve always been interested in thesemi-natural
ecosystems closest to
When I hear ecology I
humans – how the ecosystems are
picture animals, but your affected by human activity andspecialty is plants.
attitudes – which involves working
with professors and students in other
When I started university I wanted to fields.
study insects. Plants don’t move
much, so I thought they were boring
You’re a scientist surrounded[laughs]. But then I read that plants
control insect behavior with their by humanities specialists.
floral features, and I was fascinated. Is it different from a totally
That was the beginning of my science-focused faculty?
research into the natural history andecology of flowers – how plants have We’re “sociable” scientists. Scienceevolved in relation to insect has an image of being narrow-minded
pollinators, why some plants [laughs] but my faculty is a bit

Interview 2: Professor USHIMARU Atsushi,
Graduate School of Human Development and Environment
different. For example, when you go
to paddy fields to researchbiodiversity, being able to chat for anhour with the farmer is a very
important skill. Our students are goodat this.

Do you have any particular
expectations for the new
faculty?
It’s great to be able to get to know
different kinds of people. In science
it’s important to specialize, but right
now there are lots of interesting
things happening between fields. It’s
a waste to limit your interests. I hope
we can create an atmosphere where
people team up to do somethinginteresting.

international. When you’re deciding
what to research, it needs originalitythat will interest people around theworld, and when you present theresults you have to be aware of theinternational perspective. There arelots of topics with international
impact – for example, many
European researchers are now
interested in the agricultural
ecosystems of East Asia.

interesting way is vital. In thegraduate school we train research
specialists, but I also want to produce
individuals who can go out into
society equipped with a broad range
of knowledge and explain why scienceis great.

So you’re training scienceoriented people that we
can count on.

What sort of students are
Microbiology at graduate school
you looking for?
doesn’t usually include much

People who are interested in manythings but can focus on one thing[laughs]. It seems contradictory, but I
think they can coexist. Cast your net
wide, choose a topic that suits you andfollow
through.
Thisfacultyencourages that attitude.
What do you think about
Personally, I think this sort ofthe demand for a global faculty is needed to increase public
support for science. Being able toperspective?
Sciencehasalwaysbeen explain your own field in anmathematics or physics, but ecology
needs a lot of numbers. You have tolearn statistics and how to programfor conducting analyses. These aregood conditions to train sciencegeneralists. If you study hard here,
you can become the sort of scientist
that society needs.

Faculty of Global Human Sciences04interviewee
ITO Tomomi

4 years of independent as an exchange student, learned about
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, a reformer of
research
You’re researching Thai
Buddhism–
what motivated you topursue this topic?

modern Thai Buddhism, and chose
this as my thesis topic.
For Thai people, Buddhism forms
the core philosophy for living a goodlife. Religion is the base on whichsociety is built, and various social
issues are reflected in the teachings of
Buddhadasa.

When I was at university I
participated in a camp with local It
sounds like yourstudents in northern Thailand. It was overseas experiences had aa lot of fun, so I decided to study theThai language. I went to evening big impact
classes and a language school in
Thailand during the summer break. There are lots of leads that help you
Then I went to a Canadian university find out where your interests lie. Even
if you are just vaguely interested whenInterview 3: Professor ITO Tomomi,
Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
listening to a lecture, actually going to
the place and talking to people
enables you to see more clearly where
you should specialize.
Our job as professors is to support
this, encouraging each student’s
intellectual curiosity and helping
them structure it into a thesis.

I’m guessing that East
Asia,
starting
with
Thailand,is
yourrecommended place tostudy?
If you’re interested! [laughs] It’s agood place to travel for your firstoverseas trip. And there are manythings you can’t learn unless you gothere yourself. I think it’s the bestplace to enjoy making your own
experiences and discoveries.
After 10 months of learning Thai
during her exchange year, one student
was able to interview local people forfield surveys. Using this language
ability, she interviewed Thai chefs inKobe and faithfully depicted theirlives working in Japan, a world
separated from ours by cultural andlinguistic barriers.

So you can pursue yourown subject precisely
becauseit’saninterdisciplinary faculty?
We offer so many different lecturesthat students have to decide forthemselves. When you choose alecture that interests you, you absorb
the perspective gained from that
lecture and it becomes another tool
for analysis. For example, theperspective gained from studying
issues surrounding coexistence andidentity for foreign migrants in
Europe can be applied to discussionsof employment in Japan for former
training program participants in
Vietnam.

It
seems
like
the
experience
researching
can be applied no matter
where you end up.

New technology reveals hidden danger
A new methodology hatched at Kobe University is spreading to other parts of the world: On-Site Visualization (OSV), asystem which can detect warning signs before accidents occur at construction sites. OSV started in 2006 as a handmade
gadget. Now it has evolved into a high-level, precise system involving multiple companies, while also starting tobecome simpler and more affordable. How does it work, how did it develop so fast, and what is the goal behind its
simplification? We asked the head of the On-Site Visualization Consortium and the mastermind behind this invention,
Professor AKUTAGAWA Shinichi.

The market version of the OSV device. The LEIS/pocket (Light
Emitting Inclination Sensor/pocket) to the right accurately measureschanges in gradient and displays them as colored lights.
The LEC (Light Emitting Converter) to the left connects to sensors fordisplacement, pressure and temperature, and converts the data intocolors in real time, as well as recording it on an SD card within thedevice.

interacting with local people as therepresentative of a large company,
but if you build relationships bymaking friends as a student, it helps
in the future. Companies also expect
a lot in this regard.
My seminar is on East Asia, but if
you want to work in an international,
diverse environment anywhere in theworld, the Faculty of Global Human
Sciences is a good place to start.

interviewee
TAKATSUKI Yasuo

I really think that’s true. Quite a lot of
our graduates are employed by large
companies in southeast Asia. Your
first job is difficult, especially“There are many things you can’t learn
unless you go there yourself.”
05

06

OSV prototype: the handmade “Light Emitting Deformation Sensor”. Veneer
panels simulate a mountain slope, and the lights change to blue around theboards that moved.

Example of OSV use at a subway construction site in Bangalore, India. It displays the effects of the open-cut site on the adjoining building fornearby residents to see (blue lights show that the effect is small)Interviewee:
Professor AKUTAGAWA Shinichi
Graduate School of Engineering“It’s not just about being hi-tech– we have to simplify things too”
Giving shape to an idea
How did you come up with the concept
for OSV?
My original field was rock engineering, a particularly
esoteric field even within civil engineering. For
example, what happens when you dig a tunnel throughrock? My research used computer simulations rather
than going out and doing experiments.
In 2003 there was a serious cave-in at the tunnel forthe then under-construction Hokuriku Shinkansen(bullet train). I started to wonder why the accident had
occurred, and what kind of safety measures they used.
For about 3 years I thought about what I could do, thenone day I learned that you could buy a full-colored LED
light surprisingly cheaply, and thought “this is it”.
To start with, we tried making something ourselves.
The first model in 2006 was the “Light Emitting
Deformation Sensor (LEDS)”. The distance between
two points was measured with wires and springs, andthe LED colors changed in response to deformation.
One company saw this and made an upgraded LEDs
for us, which looked cooler [laughs]. It was easy to carryaround, so we used it for presentations and PR. People
began to say “I get what you want to do”, and in 2010 we
set up the OSV Consortium, an organization that works
on developing and disseminating OSV. At first we
shared information with 18 companies – that’s now 71.

That’s a very quick development.
When I explained the OSV concept, lots of people
responded with “we wanted something like this”. Of
course civil engineering sites already measure things –for example, there is a sensor at the front of each tunnel– but the sensor data is displayed on an off-sitecomputer. Every second is vital if there is an accident,
so ideally you want to be able to see whatever ishappening on the spot.

Calculations are unnecessary if there’s
enough data?
07

Has OSV prevented any casualties sofar?
One group attached some Light Emitting Converters(see photo on previous page) to a temporary ramp at a
motorway construction site. The LEC colors kept
changing, and when they investigated they found that a
crucial piece of concrete had cracked. So they added
reinforcements, and finished the job without incident.

Are there always warning signs before
an accident?
Yes. There’s always some unusual movement. Small
movements that can’t be seen by the naked eye canalmost always be picked up by sensors. But if thosesensors are expensive, you can’t put them everywhere –for example, every 100 meters in a tunnel.
The computer calculations I make estimate how safe
an area is overall based on limited data taken fromvarious points. We can estimate, but no one can vouch
for the areas which don’t have data. I always worried
about whether it’s really ok to make statements about
an entire area based on this small amount of data. The
more the better. If there’s data lined up from end to endof the tunnel, and you can see it on-site, then we don’tnecessarily need computer calculations.
When you drive at night, there are reflective blocks
lined up at the side of the road. We want that many data
points. For example, the triangular cones used onbuilding sites. If they had OSV functions, we wouldn’t
need to budget for sensors and decide where to put
them. They would already be in the cones [laughs].

An unusual use for optical fibers

springs detect a slip, the needle
moves on the dial. This can be used asa sensor, with zero running costs.
Another interesting thing about
this device is that the plastic at thebase of the dial is split into blue,
yellow and red parts. If you attach
optical fibers behind this, a different
color will light up based on the needle
movement. By doing this, just by
seeing what color the optical fiber is,
you can tell if anything is wrong evenfrom off-site. And we get the light for
free [laughs].
Of course, any company realizes
straight away that something thissimple with zero electricity isn’t goingto make a profit [laughs]. We often
talk about the possibility of making abusiness model that increases profitsby producing them overseas.

Wow, the color really doeschange.
In this case you can tell by looking,but if we attach it to a light sensor it
can pick up small changes too. You
could set up two optical fibers, onethat emits light and one that picks up
light, and stick them in the ground. If

nothing happens the light won’tchange, but if even a particle moves atthe end of the optical fiber, the lightwill be reflected back differently. You
can get data that is small but
important in predicting landslides.
Sensors and computers use
electricity, but optical fibers areplastic, so there’s no concern about
electrical issues. You can stick them
anywhere, even in the ocean. We usedthem in a study measuring ocean
sand movement with the Japan
Agency for Marine-Earth Science andTechnology, and we’re involved inresearchmeasuring
membranecontamination too.

easily they can detect problems andshare information, they’ll be moreaware about accident prevention. It’s
something everyone can do, not just a
difficult university-level research
topic.
Houses can be crushed bylandslides, and there are dangerous
slopes all over Japan. I want people
to be able to buy OSV devices at shops
An OSV that anyone can if they’re worried about the mountainusebehind their home. They can be used
for so many things – the next issue is
It’s
not
just
for telling people about them.
The ideal is to create an
construction sites then. environment in which you can obtain
What other uses does it the information necessary to protect
have?
yourself just by looking around you.
Transmitting all the data in real time.
One idea is a homework kit. OSV is Accidents will definitely decrease if
becoming simpler and simpler, and it we can get even one step closer to that
could be used for summer break point.
homework. If children learn how

An OSV demo model that uses zero
electricity (as explained in theinterview). The black line in his
right hand is an optical fiber.
Color differences can be observed
for up to 100 meters in length.

So you need to lower costs on a large
scale. Can you do it?
Companies from many different industries have joined
our consortium, and there’s talk that what took
200,000 yen before can now be done with 10,000 yen.
One method is avoiding electricity. The device I’mholding in the photo is a demo piece – if the string and↑An OSV explanation board for a subway construction site in
New Delhi, India. The safe response to each color is written in
English and Hindi.

08Gateway
to Successin Global
Business

Kobe University’s traditional strengths in the social
sciences are embodied by our Research Institute for
Economics and Business Administration (RIEB).
Founded in 1919 as the Commercial Research Institute at
the Kobe Higher Commercial School, it is the oldest
national university-affiliated research institute for social
sciences in Japan. Even its location carries the weight ofhistory – the stately Kanematsu Memorial Hall (built in1934) is one of Japan’s Registered Tangible Cultural
Properties.
The Institute stores and manages huge quantities ofcorporate historical materials, and in 2014 it was also
designated as a Satellite Museum of Historical
Computers by the Information Processing Society ofJapan. It houses 28 historically important devices
acquired during and after the war, such as Japan’s first
punch card system.
As well as its stores of historical documents andequipment, the Institute is also characterized by aninternational outlook. Director Professor Takashi
Kamihigashi notes “We have a long tradition ofinternationalism. In as early as 1938, our predecessors
established a South America collection in the library andpublished the first issue of The Journal of the Kobe
University of Commerce […] The tradition of publishingjournals written in English has continued ever since ”. Its
researchers look at globalization in business andeconomics, including the development of international
economics, global finance and macroeconomics,
international competitiveness in Japanese companies,
and theory and practice in accounting systems.

Global Master’s
Programs

The Global Master’s Programs (GMAPs) started in April
2015, established by the three graduate schools of Law,
Economics and Business Administration for students
who wish to work in international businesses. The
programs all start with a combined one-year course to
study basic subjects related to Law, Economics andBusiness Administration, followed by a one-year course
at each graduate school for specialized programs
connecting to practical business.

Research institute applies
hi-tech analysis to social sciences
Founder of the original Commercial Research Instituteand first President of the Kobe Higher Commercial
School, Professor MIZUSHIMA Tetsuya emphasized theimportance of “harmony in theory and practice”. Basedon this philosophy, the Commercial Research Instituteset out in its charter the dual goals of academic
advancement and commercial development. RIEB
remains committed to these roots, aiming todramatically advance scholarship while promoting thestable development of international society andsustainable growth of Japan’s economy.
In 2019 the Institute will celebrate its 100 year
anniversary. We will continue to actively engage with theresearch community, industry and civic society in orderto reach our full potential. To mark its 100th year, we will
analyze trends in society, economics and business, basedonlarge-scale
simulations
using
big
data,
supercomputers and a database of research materials.
We also plan to publish an international academic
journal promoting interdisciplinary research based on a
combination of social and computational science.

09

Graduate School of Law

GMAPs have three important features:(1) All lectures are conducted in English only;(2) They are interdisciplinary programs with an emphasis
on Law, Economics and Business Administration.
(3) They include short-term training programs or courses
such as domestic or international internships and summer
school.
The programs offer lectures with small class sizes taught
by world-renowned researchers, enabling students to better
understand the issues that arise in global society. We also
invite business leaders and legal professionals to equip
students with the knowledge and talent necessary to engage
with global businesses.
Students in the Graduate School of Law can participate ininternational mooting competitions. The programorganizes regional moots to give students the opportunity

Graduate School ofBusiness Administration

to practice what they have learned and better prepare forthe international competitions. The GMAP in Law also
includes a summer school named Kobe SALAD (Summer
School of Asian Law and Dispute Management) dedicated to the younger generation in Asia.
Participants in the Graduate School of Economics canexperience an international or domestic internship aftergaining basic knowledge in the social sciences. They will
also carry out research with close support from theirsupervisors in specialized areas such as Economics ofDisaster Management and Comparative Economic History.
The GMAP in Management, also named SESAMI (Strategic Entrepreneurship and Sustainability AllianceManagement Initiatives) Program focuses on three areas:
1) Strategic Entrepreneurship, 2) Sustainability AllianceManagement and 3) Strategic Management. During thesecond year of the master's program students conduct
research projects with international companies todevelop practical problem-solving abilities.
We have expanded our international collaboration tocarry out this program. We also welcome exchange students
from our partner universities and this has become one ofour most popular programs for international students.

Graduate School of Economics

Aftergraduationinternational companies

Financial section of international
companies Global economics/market analysis

GMAP in Law

GMAP in Economics

Legal or liaison section of

Global expansion of existing
companies Starting
new enterprises overseas

GMAP in Management(SESAMI)Core social sciences modules in law, economics and business administration

10

What were you doing
before you came to Kobe
University?

International
voicesApproximately 1,200 international
students from countries around theworld are currently studying at Kobe
University. In this corner, ourinternational students introduce theirnative countries and offer someinsights on studying abroad in Japan.

Software that can analyze
subatomic particles
For this issue we heard from Bence Ladoczki,
who came to study at Kobe University
from beautiful Hungary.

The Hungarian Parliament Building
is a popular sightseeing spot

Szia!

It’s related to my current research.
I spent four years as anundergraduate researching electronic structures at the Budapest
University of Technology andEconomics BME Faculty ofElectricalEngineering
andInformatics. My topic was revealing
the electron structures of atoms
and molecules by solving partial
differential equations. Researchon ways of solving the many-bodyproblem has been going on for along time, because if the electronic state is calculated accurately
then various chemical phenomena
can be explained. Calculation timediffers depending on the size ofthe atom or molecule, so we need
low-cost algorithms, or programs
that can calculate quickly. I
developed a piece of software that
calculates two-electron integrals
for the Multi-Reference Coupled
Cluster Algorithm. My program’s
calculation speed is faster thanmost of the quantum chemistry
software used at the moment.

"Hello" in Hungarian

Tell us about your current research topic

Bence LADOCZKI
2nd year Masters student at the Graduate
School of System Informatics. Originally from
Hungary, he came to Kobe University as a
research student in October 2014. Favorite
Japanese word: dekoboko (uneven, bumpy).

My topic is quantum chemistry. Simply put, I am researching thedevelopment of software that can calculate the electronic structure ofmolecules and atoms. Using a mixture of chemistry, physics,
mathematics and ICT, I spend every day doing numerical calculations
to solve differential equations. I come up with the calculation methods
myself, and I test the completed programs to see if the results arecorrect. The results don’t just have to be correct - we are also trying to
improve the speed of the calculations. It’s an uphill battle, but I haveto do my best. I don’t stay overnight in my lab though! I arrive early inthe morning, and make sure I go home every night [laughs].

Hungary
A republic located in central Europe andan EU member state.
Population: approximately 9.9 million.
Capital: Budapest.
The country is dominated by the Great
Hungarian Plain. In the past it was invaded
and settled by various different ethnic
groups.

11

St. Stephen’ s Basilica

Tell us why you chose
Kobe University
To study quantum chemistry you
need software, and computers thatcan run that software, but there
wasn’t much large-scale computing
equipment in my research lab in
Budapest. When I looked online, I
learned about the K supercomputerin Japan. I wanted to develop a
program for the K supercomputer(using parallelization) so I decided
to study in Japan. Kobe University
students can use the K supercomputer, so I realized that if I
study here then I can pursue mygoals. It also turned out that afriend of my supervisor in Hungary
knows my supervisor in Kobe – it’sa small world – and that wasanother connection that led me tochoose Kobe University.

What’s it like being a
student in Kobe?

Hungarian stew

What is Hungarian foodlike?
Our staple foods are potatoes, pasta
and bread. We only eat rice about
once or twice a week. There aremany different kinds of stews andsoups, and we eat them a lot. Not
many people know this, but
Hungary is a major producer of
paprika. We dry it, make it into
powder, and use it in stews andother dishes. I love Japanese foodtoo– noodle stir-fry, Japanese-stylebarbeque, ramen, sushi.

I study hard, but I go on a lot of
trips too - Tokyo, Nara, Shirahama
in Wakayama. In Nara I visited
temples, like Todaiji, and playedwith the deer. I like Japanese beer,and I often go for a drink with mylab partners. I also go swimming
to stay healthy. My friends in thelab are very enthusiastic about theirresearch, which is inspiring.

Bence with his lab group

Your Japanese is really
good. How did you learn
the language?
I learned some Japanese while I
was at university in Hungary, thenafter graduating from mybachelor’s degree I studied
Japanese intensively for half a year.
I went to language school twice a
week, and hired a Japanese tutor
to teach me once or twice a week
too. I understand most of thegrammar, but it’s hard to improveat everyday conversation…
When I first arrived in Japan I
could only speak English, so I foundit hard to talk to Japanese students.
But Japanese is interesting, and I
feel like I’ve gradually improved by

Hungarian Parliament Building

Tell us about your plans
for the future
I want to carry on doing something related to my current
research, so I’d like to work at auniversity or research institute. I’dlike to continue research inquantum chemistry, and invent
new materials. At the moment
we’ve got as far as using quantum
chemistry calculations to obtainelectronic states of various
molecules. One day I want to beable to use computers andcalculation algorithms to accurately
simulate larger molecules like
proteins and DNA. Then I’d like todiscover something beyond thefield of quantum chemistry,something that benefits humanity.

Matthias Church

12

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Fruitful enterprise in rural Kenya
The east African nation of Kenya
has a strong agricultural base, but
in some regions over 40% ofmangoes are thrown away after
harvesting, and farmers find it
hard to secure stable buyers fortheir produce. Ms. YAMAMOTO
Ayumi established a dried fruits
processing company in Kenya,
aiming to create locally-basedsustainable enterprise.

When did you first decided
to get involved in supporting
farmers in Africa?

YAMAMOTO Ayumi
Born in 1980 in Kashiwara, Osaka. Kobe
University School of Agriculture graduate. In
2011 she started work in Machakos, Kenya
supporting fruit harvesting as a Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV). In 2014 she set
up and represents “Kenya Fruits Solutions Ltd” ,a dried fruits processing company.

What sort of company is Tell us why you joined the comparing the photosynthetic
characteristics of wild versus cultivatedKenya Fruits Solutions?
Faculty of Agriculture
We deal in mangoes and pineapples,buying fruit from local farmers toprocess and sell. Fruit is very seasonal,
so during the harvest season it floods
the domestic markets and unsold fruit
often goes bad.
Interview by
NAKAMURA Kunio(Student PR Team)
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Electricaland Electronic
Engineering 4th year

13

When I was in high school I had
the opportunity to go on a study tour
to the Philippines with my parents.
We visited a slum there, and I wasshocked that children the same age
as me didn’ t have enough to eat. I
realized that food equals life, and I
decided that I wanted to pursue a
career related to food and agriculture
in developing countries.

What sort of things did you
study?
I transferred to Kobe University in
my 3rd year, and joined the cropscience research laboratory. My
graduation thesis was a survey

rice species. I wanted to work overseas
in a job related to international
cooperation or agriculture, so in my
4th year I trained at an organic farmin Hyogo prefecture. It was a very
valuable experience. I still use the skills
and knowledge I gained at university
in my work supporting farmers in
Kenya.
I’ve
deepenedmyunderstanding
about
farmingsemi-arid land since coming to Kenya
and listening to the farmers’
experiences, but it was my solid
foundation of agricultural knowledge
that enabled me to look for what wasneeded, grasp the situation, and set
things in motion when I arrived inrural Kenya.

When I became a Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteer [JOCV] in 2011.
I’d applied for the program as a
student, but I wasn’t accepted. After
graduating I worked as a lecturer in an
agricultural high school, then worked
in a private company, and I stopped
thinking much about working
overseas. But when I turned 30, I saw
an ad in a train for the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers. I suddenly
remembered my dreams of going toAfrica when I was a student, and when
I applied this time they accepted me.

crops of maize and beans withering
due to lack of rainfall. The Kenyan
Ministry of Agriculture recommended
drought-resistant crops, so I thoughtthat mango trees, which are fairly
drought-tolerant, could contribute to
the income and nutrition of local
farmers. (Other drought-resistantcrops include sorghum and cowpea.)
Mangoes are suited to Kenya’s
semi-arid regions, but because there
were no stable buyers, and middlemen
had been buying them cheaply formany years, not much importance wasplaced on them as an income source
for farmers in my area. I thought that
if we could buy the mangoes at a fair
price, process and sell them, this could
be an source of revenue for farmers
and help to combat poverty.

It must have been fate! So
you joined the Japan So you started a business.
Overseas
Cooperation
Yes. But I don’ t think I could’ ve
Volunteers and went tolaunched the company alone. I met
Kenya.
Yes. It was my first time in Kenya,and the capital of Nairobi was a lot
more developed than I’ d imagined.
People spoke English, there wasgood infrastructure, and it was easier
to live there than I’ d thought itwould be.
I was posted there to work as aCommunity Development Officer.
My job was to learn about the needs
and problems within a community,
and work with them to findsolutions.

someone who had become asuccessful entrepreneur whileworking as a JOCV in Kenya. Her
words – “Just because it’ s Africa,
doesn’ t mean that it’ s not possible”– resonated with me, and I resolvedto act. “I’ ll try it for half a year, andsee how it goes” I thought when I set
up the company. If you worry too
much and don’ t start moving, youcan’ t get anything done. The firststep is to try. In my case, I was lucky
to meet people who helped me andlent me their knowledge. Another
JOCV posted to the same region as
me is helping me out in the Japan
Office of this program. I’ m very
grateful for the human connections
that made this possible.

What’s the next step?
I want to expand the business andincrease the amount of fruit we’repurchasing from farmers and thenumber of employees. Living andworking here in Kenya, I’m often
surprised at the difference in values.
Things that Japanese people take for
granted don’t apply here. Things don’t
go according to plan, and they often
take more time than I think. To startwith I was overseeing the processing
myself, then I began to entrust it to
Kenyan employees who knew aboutfood processing. I want to carry on
helping to sustainably produce quality
goods.

Why did you decide to
specialize in mangoes?
In 2011, the year I went to Kenya,
there was a severe drought in east
Africa, and everywhere I saw the staple

14Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians

Advisory Board meeting

150 years ofJapan-Belgium
friendshipInternational Collaboration
EuropeSymposium celebrating 150 years of Japan-Belgium
friendship; Academic Lunch with Belgian King and Queen

In October 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen
Mathilde of Belgium visited Japan to commemorate 150
years of Belgo-Japanese friendship. As part of the itinerary,on October 14 Kobe University invited a group of Belgian
university rectors to a symposium at the Kobe University
Integrated Research Center. The event focused on the
results of international collaborative research projects withfour of our partner institutions in Belgium.
The symposium comprised four sessions: joint researchon cancer with the University of Liège, joint research withSaint-Louis University on poverty, joint research on
migrants and security issues with KU Leuven, andinterdisciplinary research on globalization with Ghent
University. Symposium attendees included members of
the Japanese and Belgian governments, researchers, andstudents.

15

Following the symposium, the participants moved to
the Hilton Osaka where an Academic Lunch was held with
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Belgium. During
this event, Professor YOSHIDA gave a report of thesymposium to the King and the Queen. Finally, two
students from Kobe University and the University of Liègetalked about their study abroad experiences in Belgium
and Japan.
This event commemorating 150 years of Belgo-Japanese
friendship is also a testament to our University’s strong
presence in Belgium, owing to the activities of the Kobe
University Brussels European Centre (KUBEC) establishedin September 2010.

Activities at the Kobe University Brussels European Centre (KUBEC)
Established in September 2010, the Kobe University Brussels European Office is the first European
centre founded in Brussels by a Japanese university. It is our primary base for strengthening
collaboration in education and research between Japan and Europe.

Advisory Board meeting

Caroline Pauwels (Rector, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The University holds Advisory Board meetings in its [VUB]), His Excellency Mr. Kazuo Kodama (Ambassador
overseas offices to further enhance our governance. On of Japan to the European Union), and Mr. Wolfgang
November 7, 2016, we held an Advisory Board meeting at Burtscher (Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General
KUBEC on topics such as initiatives to support research for Research and Innovation, European Commission) toand international activities, drawing comparisons between express their hopes for further research collaboration
Kobe University and European organizations. The meeting between Japan and Europe.
was attended by board members His Excellency Mr.
Four parallel sessions were organized on the themes ofHerman Van Rompuy (former President of the European
data science, cultural diversity, migration and security, andCouncil), Dr. Michael Reiterer (Senior Advisor in the Asia
particle physics. Japanese and European researchers
and Pacific Department, European External Action
Service), Professor Roger Goodman (Head of Social presented the latest results of cutting-edge research andSciences Division, University of Oxford), and Professor Jiří discussed future opportunities for collaboration. The
symposium, which provided an opportunity to exchange
Drahoš (Chairman of the Czech Academy of Sciences).
information on current topics and dealt with common
The 7th Kobe University Brussels European issues shared by Japan and Europe, was positively received
Centre Symposium “Emerging Sciences by both Japanese and Belgian officials.
This year marked the first time that the symposium wasand a Changing World: EU-Japan in held in collaboration with Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB),
Transition”
where KUBEC is located. KUBEC relocated to the VUB
On November 8, the 7th Kobe University Brussels international office buildings in July 2015 in order toEuropean Centre Symposium “Emerging Sciences and a enhance its role as a base for collaboration in education andChanging World: EU-Japan in Transition” was held.
research between Japan and Europe by forming closer ties
The event opened with addresses from Professor with Belgian universities. This symposium is part of our
TAKEDA Hiroshi (President, Kobe University), Professor
initiative to strengthen collaboration with VUB.

Caroline Pauwels (Vrije University Brussels Rector), Professor TAKEDA Hiroshi(Kobe University President), His Excellency Mr. Kazuo Kodama (Ambassador ofJapan to the European Union), Mr. Wolfgang Burtscher (Deputy Director General,
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission)

The 7th Kobe University Brussels European Centre Symposium

16Social Media
Kobe University is on social media!
Forum for Leaders of Japanese Studies

Asia

Forum for Leaders of Japanese Studies

On September 23, the Fourth Annual Conference: theForum for Leaders of Japanese Studies was held at Kobe
University. Six leading researchers in Japanese Studies
from major Asian universities presented on anddiscussed the theme of “Japanese Studies as Public
Goods” from a range of perspectives.
This year for the first time the event was co-organizedwith the Kobe University Educational Program on
Current Japan (KU-EPOCJ) Administrative Committee
and the European Association for Japanese Studies(EAJS) as part of the KU-EPOCJ Kick-off Symposium.
The Kobe University Educational Program on Current
Japan is an English-taught course open to exchange
students (Special Auditing Students) focusing on

Japanese culture and society.
After the keynote speech by Professor EYAL Ben-Ari(Director of the Kinneret Center on Peace, Security andSociety, Kinneret Academic College) titled “JapaneseStudies in Comparative Perspective: How are
Area/Regional Studies Constructed?” , three sessions
were organized around the themes of “An Aging Society
with a Low Birthrate” , “Migration and Symbiosis” and“Technology and Ethics” .
This joint event contributed to increasing academic
exchange between Japanese studies researchers in Asia,
Europe and countries around the world.

KobeU_Global

Kobe University
GlobalKobe University Academic Research and Education Forum (KUAREF) in Indonesia
The Kobe University Academic Research and Education
Forum (KUAREF) in Indonesia was co-hosted with
Universitas Gadjah Mada and Universitas Indonesia on
December 21 and 23, 2016. This symposium is the
successor of the annual Kobe University Global-Link
Forum (KUGL), which aimed to raise the University’ s
profile overseas by strengthening our ties with theinternational alumni association network and partner
institutions. This year the first Kobe University
Academic Research and Education Forum was held as
an academic event with a renewed focus on research,focusing on the fields of language, law and technology.
Over 250 people attended the preconference event andsymposium, including many Universitas Indonesia staff

and students.
After the symposium, a reception and alumni
networking event took place, attended by former
students of Kobe University who currently work at
companies and research institutions in Indonesia. This
provided a valuable opportunity for alumni to talk about
their memories of Kobe University and their work after
graduation.
With the recent rapid economic development in Asia,
Kobe University is taking the initiative to deepen
cooperative relations with Asian countries in order totackle social challenges together. The annual KUAREF
symposia will continue to contribute to our networkwith alumni and researchers in this region.

Kobe University

Kobe University

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17

18

KOBE UNIVERSITYFounded in 1902
4 campuses 10 faculties 15 graduate schools
16,356 students
including 1,196 international students
comprising over 85 nationalities
2,583 staff
Each=1,000 students= international students

including 1,319 teaching staff
1,145 administrative staff
119 faculty staff in attached schools

Partner Universities
Kobe University currently has 317 partner institutions in 56 countries/regions.
EuropeNorth America
25

Asia

115

144
Middle East
5

Africa10South America
8

Oceania
8

Faculties and Graduate Schools

KYOTO
OSAKA

TOKYO

・Letters / Humanities
・Intercultural Studies
・Human Development /Human Development and Environment
・Law・Economics
・Business Administration
・Science
・Medicine・Health Sciences
・Engineering
・System Informatics
・Agriculture / Agricultural Science
・Maritime Sciences
・International Cooperation Studies
・Science, Technology and Innovation(NEW!) Global Human Sciences
All data as of November 1, 2016