Kobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2019

Kobe University Brussels European Centre
Newsletter

New Directorappointed toKUBECSAKAI Kazunari

INDEX-News
Research at Kobe University(1st half of 2019)
Past Events in 2019In-house seminars and workshop
at KUBEC
Social MediaLet us know what you think
about our English website

 NEWSNew director appointed tothe Kobe University
Brussels European Centre

Kobe University opened the Brussels
European Centre (KUBEC) in
September 2010 and established theCentre for EU Academic Collaborationin July 2013 to promote further
exchange with Europe. Our activities inEurope include seminars, workshops,
student and researcher’s exchanges,
joint research projects, as well as anannual high-level symposium organised
at KUBEC. This year marks the 10th
anniversary of KUBEC’s establishment

and a commemorative symposium
will be held on 22 October, 2019.
Titled ‘Open Science, Evolving
Societies: New Horizons for EUJapan Research’ it will focus on
three key topics among recent
research trends: EPA/SPA, foodtechnology and cultural heritage.
In April 2019, Prof. Kazunari Sakai,
Professor of the Graduate School ofIntercultural Studies, wasappointed as the new Executive
Director to KUBEC. He built up hiscareer as a professor of international
relations engaging in various
international collaborative activities

Kobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2019with European partners including
experiences as an invited professor of
Sciences Po and Université Paris
Nanterre. His current research focuseson the EU’s external relations withneighboring countries, migration issues
across the Mediterranean Sea, andglobal governance related to migration.
Led by theformer
Executive
Director Prof.
Ken-ichiYoshida,
Professor ofGraduate
School ofScience,
Technology and Innovation for over 6years, KUBEC has always taken theinitiatives for Kobe University’s
international activities in Europe,
including annual symposia andworkshops to encourage joint researchand participation in European research
grants such as Horizon 2020. Kobe
University now has more than 140
European partners, and students also
enjoy mobility programmes including
Erasmus+. In April 2019, Prof. Yoshiida
was appointed as the new Executive
Director to the Center for EU Academic
Collaboration, which aims to promoteinternational collaboration with Europe
at the university level.
Prof. Sakai will take over Prof. Yoshida’s
activities and is also looking forward toworking with him in order to reinforce
Kobe University’s presence in Europe
under an initiative by Prof. Masahiko
Yoshii, our newly appointed Executive

Vice-President in charge ofInternational Exchange.
Comment from Prof. Sakai:‘KUBEC is a principal organ for Kobe
University in promoting global partnerships ineducation and research, particularly in ourrelations with Europe. As the new Executive
Director of KUBEC I will work to further
enhance cooperation with our European
partners and to strengthen our connections withKobe University alumni in Europe.’
Our new members are looking forwardto seeing you at the 10th anniversary
KUBEC symposium in October!
→KUBEC WEBPAGE AND AN INTERVIEWWITH NEW EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTNetwork Meeting forJapanese Studies inCentral-Europe held inBudapest

On February 2 and 3 the Network
Meeting for Japanese Studies inCentral-Eastern Europe in Budapest
took place, co-organized by Kobe
University and Japan Foundation
Budapest.

This event provided an opportunity forfaculty heads from key universities
representing the field of Japanesestudies in Central and Eastern Europe
to discuss current trends in researchand education on Japan. Kobe
University was represented by theevent’s moderator Professor KiyomitsuYui (former Executive Assistant to thePresident in Charge of International
Collaboration) and Professor Tetsu
Ichizawa (Graduate School ofHumanities) who gave a special lecture
titled “Reconsideration of Princess
Mononoke – A Historian’s perspective”

introducing the influence of Japan in
popular culture.
On February 4, Kobe University andJapan Foundation
Budapest jointly helda lecture for thegeneral public titled“The Way toPreserve Historical
Documents in theCommunity”.
→EVENT NEWS

Staff Training Week
2019 was held

During 10-14 June, Kobe
University held a staff training weekat Kobe. The programme was heldto invite administrative staff frompartner universities to exchange
knowledge, ideas and best practices
in management of international
affairs. 8 participants joined frompartner universities, universities
including Universite de Paris
Diderot in France, Technical
University Darmstadt in Germany
and Jagiellonian University in
Poland from European partners.
The participants and Kobe
University international staff
enjoyed sharing knowledge andcultural exchange including a visit
to the Maritime Sciences campus tosee University Ship and themuseum, and short trips to Kobeand Kyoto.

→EVENT NEWSKobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2019 Research at
Kobe University(1st half of 2019)-Giant pattern discovered in the clouds of planet Venus
Research NewsSpace/Planetary Science, Meteorology- Identifying “friends” in an objective manner: A new method for extracting the backbone ofnetworked social interactions
Research News
Socioeconomics, Statistics- Vitamin D and immune cells stimulate bone marrow disease
Research Article
Biology, Medicine/Health Science-Cell architects: engineered “smart cells” improve production of pharmaceutical raw materials
Research News
Biochemistry, Computer Science

All you need to know about our research is now on thewebsite including news, spotlight, researchers, facilities andcollaboration.

Supervolcano paper features in Scientific Reports
Top 100 Read Articles of 2018!
Research NewsIf you have any questions about research news, please contact us at

intl-relations (a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp

Kobe University Brussels European Centre
E-newsletter, June 2019

◆ Past Events in 2018-2019
7 Mar. The 8th International Seminar on Integration of Special Computable General Equilibrium and Transport
Modelling
Programme
30 Nov. Brussels Student Workshop 2018
Programme
25-26 Japan - Georgia - Western Europe: Cultural Memory and Cultural Transfer
Oct. Programme
03 Oct. The 6th Bruegel - Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University conference” International Trade and the EUJapan Economic Partnership Agreement"
Programme In-house seminars and workshops at KUBEC
Information on academic seminars and workshops at KUBEC can be found at:
http://www.office.kobe-u.ac.jp/ipiep/kubec/index_en.html
If you are interested in participating in these events, please contact us at

intl-kobe_u_bxl(a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp
for further information.

 Social Media
Kobe University is now on Social Media!

KobeU_Global

KobeUniversity
GlobalKobe University

kobe_university

 Let us know what you think about our English website
Feedback is always welcome. Please let us know your opinion by filling in a 3-minute questionnaire about the new website:Link to questionnaire
Thank you very much for reading this newsletter. We wish you all a joyful summer holiday!
Kobe University Brussels European Centre E-newsletter has been sent to you because you have shown an interest in ouractivities. If you prefer not to receive it, please send a message to us at intl-kobe_u_bxl(a)office.kobe-u.ac.jp. Thank you.

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