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Tokyo Foundation visits the University of Latvia and meets with fellows

No kreisās – LU Starptautiskās sadarbības departamenta direktore Baiba Pētersone, Tokijas fonda vecākais padomnieks Noboru Okabe, LU profesore Biruta Sloka un Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes asociētais profesors, LU asociētais viesprofesors Romāns Putāns.
From left – Baiba Pētersone, Director of the Department for International Cooperation at the University of Latvia; Noboru Okabe, Senior Advisor at the Tokyo Foundation; Biruta Sloka, Professor at the University of Latvia; and Romāns Putāns, Associate Professor at Riga Stradiņš University and Associate Visiting Professor at the University of Latvia.

On October 9, Noboru Okabe, Senior Advisor at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, visited the University of Latvia (UL) to learn about the University's experience in implementing the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) program and meet with fellows.

The SYLFF program, which has been implemented at UL since 2002, provides financial support to outstanding master's and doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences, promoting the growth of future leaders. Since the program's start at UL, 120 fellowship recipients have received support, contributing to the development of the academic and civic environment in Latvia and around the world through their research and international experience. The representative of the fellowship program met with two former fellowship recipients, Mr.Romāns Putāns and Ms.Inga Jēkabsone, who talked about their research areas and shared how the fellowship has helped them expand their academic opportunities and professional contacts. 

During his visit, Mr.Okabe met with Ms.Baiba Pētersone, Director of the Department for International Cooperation at UL, and Ms.Biruta Sloka, Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, who is a member of the SYLFF nominees’ evaluation committee at UL. The discussion focused on the impact of the fellowship on the academic and professional growth of UL students, as well as the selection process and criteria for fellowship nominations. 

The Tokyo Foundation representative also introduced the Nippon Foundation Scholars Association (TNFSA) – an online platform that The Nippon Foundation has created for the fellows of 20 programs under their umbrella. This platform with 1,600 fellows promotes the exchange of experiences, cooperation, and joint project development. Currently, the group for recipients of the SYLFF fellowship have more than 340 members. 

The SYLFF program was established in 1987 through cooperation between the Nippon Foundation, which funds the program, and the Tokyo Foundation, which administers it. Its goal is to develop a new generation of leaders who can address societal challenges based on interdisciplinary knowledge and international cooperation. 

The University of Latvia expresses its gratitude to the Nippon Foundation and the Tokyo Foundation for their long-standing support, which helps UL students become active researchers and leaders on a global scale. 

A new call for applications for the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) program at the University of Latvia will be announced soon. 

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