About Sylff
Message from The Tokyo Foundation
Message from The Tokyo Foundation, Leadership Development
As globalization sweeps the world, many of the problems we face are ones that span the globe. The issues of global warming and environmental pollution for example, or food crises and the spread of infectious diseases, these are local problems and at the same time, global problems. No country can escape their impact, and no country can resolve them alone. These increasingly complex issues can only be solved through initiatives that transcend the boundaries of each country.
In such a society, future leaders are expected to have the passion and ability to serve the common interests of humanity, transcending national, religious, ethnic, and other boundaries while respecting diversity in culture and values. The Tokyo Foundation endeavors to nurture the future leaders of Japan and the world by planning and administering a variety of programs both within Japan and abroad.
Since its establishment in 1987, the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) program has provided fellowships to students pursuing graduate studies in areas within the humanities and social science disciplines at 69 universities and consortia in 44 countries. More than 12,000 students have received fellowships since the program’s inception. Many of these Sylff fellows are now working actively in the front lines of a diversity of fields including academia, business, and civil society.
The Tokyo Foundation hopes to use the Internet to build a network among the Sylff fellows, and to facilitate cooperation and collaboration between organizations as well as individuals who share a strong desire to contribute to the resolution of issues facing their communities and the world. To this end, the Sylff website and Sylff connect (Sylff connect is a Social Networking Service exclusive to Sylff fellows, to connect and collaborate in the global network) have been enhanced to provide a platform where Sylff fellows can interact and work together. It is our heartfelt wish that Sylff fellows will take advantage of this site to voice their opinions and inform the world of their research accomplishments, thus contributing to the betterment of our society.
