Information
Update on Sylff Plus!
Update. Mar. 23,2010
The Tokyo Foundation is pleased to announce updates on Sylff Plus.
Sylff Plus aims to encourage and support the initiatives of Sylff community members (current and graduated Sylff fellows, as well as Sylff steering committee members) who wish to practice/help develop leadership skills, as we expect leaders to be proactive, to work for the benefit of others, to be inclusive of people, and to be effective even in an ambiguous situation.
We are looking forward to having Sylff community members utilize these opportunities to the fullest this year!
1. Sylff Research Abroad
This program supports currently enrolled Sylff fellows in conducting academic research related to their degree dissertations at another Sylff institution overseas. We provide up to US$7,000 for up to three months stay. Each Sylff institution can nominate up to two Sylff fellows a year (April 2010–March 2011) according to following deadlines (applications must be received by the Foundation by these dates):
| 2nd Round | September 30, 2010 |
| 3rd Round | January 30, 2011 |
We welcome applications from Sylff fellows who wish to construct in-depth research to make their degree dissertation convincing and valuable to society.
2. Sylff Leadership Initiatives
Sylff Leadership Initiatives encourages all members of the Sylff community—current and graduated Sylff fellows as well as members of the Sylff steering committee at Sylff-endowed institutions—to tackle critical issues and take initiatives in planning and implementing social action projects that have a great impact on the local/global community, as well as forums, conferences, seminars, workshops etc. that address contemporary issues of social relevance. Taking initiatives will enhance your leadership capabilities and commitment in contributing to society. We welcome YOUR initiatives to help resolve complicated problems in this age of uncertainty.
3. Sylff Prize
The Sylff Prize recognizes and supports fellows who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to society.
We had 11 nominations this year. After careful review by an independent international selecting committee, and thorough discussions within the Tokyo Foundation concerning all of the nominees, we have decided that no Sylff Prize shall be awarded this time. All nominees were outstanding and demonstrated a wide range of accomplishments and abilities that deserve recognition, and, in many cases, the selection committee noted that they have high potential in the near future, and would like to see them again as they further develop themselves. Regardless of the result, we shall continue to explore and recognize outstanding individuals in the Sylff community. We dearly ask for and appreciate your support in this endeavor.
4. Sylff Website and Sylff Connect
This Sylff website is designed to communicate within the Sylff community and beyond. We welcome your contribution to “News & Events” when you have news to announce; “Voices from the Sylff Community” when you have opinions and viewpoints that you wish to share in public; and “Fellows in Action” when you have accomplishments to report and share. It is YOUR site! We are looking forward to uploading YOUR voices!
Please contact us at scholarship[a]tkfd.or.jp (*[a] must be replaced by @) for inquiries and detailed information.
The Sylff connect is a social networking service (SNS) exclusive to Sylff fellows. You can use Sylff connect for virtual communication with fellows from different Sylff institutions, exchanging academic information and insights, sharing your experience with visual images, and casually meeting with new Sylff fellows. JSTOR, the online academic journal archive, is also available exclusive to Sylff fellows free of charge.
How to get started on Sylff connect: http://www.sylff.org/2010/03/12/2948/
We hope you utilize Sylff Plus to widen your experiences and extend your horizons outside the box!
Sylff connect, Social Networking Service Exclusive to Sylff fellows
Update. Mar. 12,2010
Sylff connect provides fellows with an exclusive space to interact with each other on topics both academic and otherwise, and to promote collaboration within the global network. It is a home where fellows can gain a sense of belonging as well as a device to empower their activities.
What is Sylff connect?
It is a Facebook-like structure exclusive to Sylff fellows past and present. There are also a number of unique features:
- Discussion room: to discuss academic topics.
- Bulletin board: to make announcements of events and post news of interest to Sylff fellows.
- Community: to find fellows with the same interests. Apart from pre-set communities (nationality, Sylff institution, and field of specialization), any fellow can freely start communities of his/her interest.
- JSTOR: to offer interdisciplinary archives of over 1,000 leading academic journals from universities and other sources. Within Sylff connect, JSTOR is available to Sylff fellows free of charge.
How to get started on Sylff connect
If you are a Sylff fellow, please go to the following URL and enter using registered email address and password:
http://connect.sylff.org/
If you have any problems or questions, please contact the scholarship division.
Sylff connect is still a work-in-progress. This is our first attempt to build a social networking service for fellows. Over the next year, we welcome fellows’ opinions and questions regarding the Sylff connect. We want to reflect fellows’ inputs and steadily improve this digital community as we move forward.
Goran Svilanovic
Update. Aug. 27,2009
Here is the latest from the Sylff Prize Winners, Goran Svilanovic PhD., a Sylff fellow of the Law School at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, who is now the Appointed Coordinator of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
1. Please bring us up to date on your latest activities in terms of your career and any other social activities.
I have done my PhD in Law (Substantial legal effect of the civil judgments) and am teaching Heritage Law, Contract Law and Civil Procedure at the Union University, Law School, Belgrade, Serbia.
Since December 2008, I was appointed Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (http://www.osce.org/eea/13051.html). It means that I am heading Second Dimension of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. European Security and Cooperation.
The OSCE is based in Vienna, Austria, and I live there.
2. How has Sylff or the Sylff Prize influenced or made an impact on your professional or private life?
It was a great joy for me to meet Sylff fellows most recently in the Sylff Regional Forum in Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. Discussing with the fellows about their experiences, their work and engagement in different fields was also reinforcing for my own convictions to pursue goals that was defined long ago (to work towards excellence in respective field of engagement, be it academia, be it politics and be it civic sector…).
3. Could you please give some words of advice or encouragement to the up-and-coming Sylff
fellows? For example, what sort of efforts should Sylff fellows focus on in order to cultivate
leadership qualities.
Sylff fellows should profit from the opportunity that the Tokyo Foundation provides us with, which is, among others, to networking with colleagues from all around the globe. It is comparative advantage we should constantly work on because in every part of this beautiful planet there are people like us who care for the others and are looking forward to improve their knowledge and skills.
4. Please describe your vision and activities for the future.
Next four years I will spend in the OSCE in Vienna coordinating and organizing projects and activities linked with the economy and environment. My priorities are going to be to further cooperation among 56 OSCE participating states (pS) and partners for cooperation in the field of migration (and its linkages with the social development, economy and environment); to encourage and improve dialogue in the field of energy security, energy efficiency, renewable energy resources; to foster cooperation in order to prevent effects of the global financial and economic crisis which would influence stability and security in the OSCE region; and to strengthen cooperation between 56 pS in order to work together to prevent security outcomes of the climate change and environmental deterioration.
In addition, my Office will continue developing projects in the field of good governance, rule of law activities, anti money laundering programs, etc.
All activities are to be implemented in the OSCE area which brings together 56 participating states as well as several partners for cooperation. In particular, these activities are to be implemented by OSCE field missions and presences in South Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.
5. 2004 Sylff Prize Speech (PDF format, downloadable)
2004 Sylff Prize Winners-Amal Jadou
Let’s nominate the next Sylff Prize winners!
2004 Sylff Prize Winners-Amal Jadou
Update. Jul. 15,2009
Here are close-ups on four previous Sylff Prize winners.
First is the the voice of the Sylff Prize 2004 Winner, Amal Jadou PhD., a Sylff fellow of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, who is now the Director General, International Relations Department, Office of the President, Palestine Authority. (more…)
“SYLFF Plus” Launched!
Update. Mar. 27,2009
The Tokyo Foundation is thrilled to announce the launch of a new framework, “SYLFF Plus,” which aims to encourage and support the initiatives of SYLFF community members who are committed to the SYLFF mission. Read the message from Akiko Matsunobu concerning our intentions and expectations toward SYLFF Plus.
Message from Akiko Matsunobu, Executive Director (PDF)
Flyer of SYLFF Plus (PDF)
Here are the four key activities of “SYLFF Plus”:
1. SYLFF Research Abroad
SYLFF Research Abroad supports current SYLFF fellows in conducting academic research related to their degree dissertations at another SYLFF institution overseas. Research activities such as data collection, interviews, fieldwork, and consultations with professors of the host institution can be implemented under this program. The Foundation will receive applications three times a year and provide up to US$7,000 for each participant. We welcome applications from SYLFF fellows who want to construct in-depth research to make their degree dissertation convincing and valuable to society.
2. SYLFF Leadership Initiatives
SYLFF Leadership Initiatives encourages all members of the SYLFF community to tackle critical issues and take initiatives in planning and implementing social action projects that have a great impact on the local/global community, as well as forums, conferences, seminars, workshops etc. that address contemporary issues of social relevance. Taking initiatives will enhance your leadership capabilities and contribute to society. We welcome YOUR initiatives to help resolve complicated problems in this age of uncertainty.
3. SYLFF Prize
The SYLFF prize recognizes and supports fellows demonstrating outstanding leadership and commitment to society. Past prize winners had confronted difficult challenges for the betterment of humankind. We hope that their visions and actions will inspire many SYLFF fellows to become the next global/local leaders emerging from the SYLFF community. A call for nominations will be announced in May 2009. Some changes will be made to the scheme, including an increase in the prize amount.
4. SYLFF Website and SYLFF Connect
“Voices from the SYLFF Community” on the SYLFF website is a space showcasing the activities and opinions of SYLFF community members. We have received contributions from fellows and faculty members all over the world. We are looking forward to sharing YOUR voices with the global audience, including global issues with local perspective, grassroots issues requiring global attention, and your first-hand experiences. For details, please refer to specifications for article contribution.
We are also developing “SYLFF Connect,” a social networking service exclusive to SYLFF fellows, to be launched later this year. Look forward to cyber-connections with your SYLFF colleagues!
As seen in the chart below, SYLFF Plus is a revised version of the “Follow-up Programs” we had provided in the past years. The Foundation has reviewed and repositioned them into SYLFF Plus by focusing on three points: initiatives to be taken by SYLFF fellows by themselves, collaboration within and beyond the SYLFF community, and user-friendly system with transparency.
Attention: The Foundation has been shifting its main networking and communication tools from paper-based to digital. Please register your contact information (esp. e-mail address) on the SYLFF Network Database so that we can keep you updated. If you do not have access to the database, please contact us from inquiry form or send an e-mail to a program officer.
