The Sylff Association Secretariat is pleased to announce the awardees of two support programs— Sylff Research Grant (SRG) and Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) —for fiscal 2025. A total of 44 research and social action projects were selected for support under these programs.

Both SRG and SLI underwent minor enhancements in fiscal 2025. SRG covered expenses for domestic and international fieldwork, with the maximum award for the latter doubling to $10,000. For SLI, in addition to aligning its application schedule with SRG, we introduced a peer-review panel of former recipients, inviting them to share their insights during the screening process to ensure greater fairness and credibility.

The selection process was highly competitive, with more than 80 applications received from across the Sylff network. We are deeply grateful for the enthusiastic and thoughtful response to the call for applications, which highlighted the diversity, creativity, and strong commitment of Sylff fellows to research excellence and social engagement.

We extend our warmest congratulations to all awardees and look forward to the meaningful outcomes of their projects in the months ahead.

The lists of awardees and their approved projects can viewed at the links below:

List of SRG Awardees FY2025
List of SLI Awardees FY2025

Profiles of all past awardees are available here:

SRG Awardee Profiles
SLI Awardee Profiles

The Sylff Association secretariat had the pleasure of welcoming Marici Cristine Gramacho Sakata, a fellow at the University of São Paulo, to its Tokyo office on January 9, 2026.

“I’m very excited to finally be here,” Sakata said of her first visit—not only to the Sylff office but also to Japan, the country of her father. “I’m very grateful for the Sylff fellowship,” she added, which she received in 2006 while pursuing her doctorate in communication science at USP’s School of Communications and Arts. “It was very important for my studies and my career.”

She is currently travelling with her family to major cities in Japan and will also visit Taiwan to make arrangements for a tour she will lead later this year for Brazilian school owners.

She worked as a researcher at USP’s Information Systems and Technology Research Lab—where she helped organize the annual International Conference on Information Systems and Technology Management—and also served as an assistant editor of the Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management.

She now organizes educational tours aimed at informing school owners of management trends in countries outside Brazil. “We work with the local governments in arranging these tours,” she explained. “Last year we went to Switzerland, and we’ve also visited Portugal. We were in Japan about five years ago, but that was before I became involved.”

These trips are designed to give owners a better understanding of the benchmarks being used at primary and secondary schools in other countries.

“It’s very interesting to see the interactions of this group while we’re traveling,” Sakata says. During the school year, many private school owners have limited opportunities to learn how other schools are addressing recent changes in the educational environment—such as student use of smartphones and AI. These fact-finding opportunities are therefore very valuable for them.

“Education is not just a government obligation; it’s also a business,” she points out. “Many participants operate major schools with thousands of students, but when traveling together, they don’t see each other as competitors. They really seem to cherish the experience.”

Sakata expressed her hope of applying the lessons from her current trip to Japan to make a greater contribution to the Sylff community in São Paulo and beyond. The secretariat was heartened by her offer and looks forward to sharing her future engagements with the broader Sylff community. (Compiled by Nozomu Kawamoto)

Artwork by Spanish artist Mar Muriel for the TEHIC (Towards a European Heritage Interpretation Curriculum) project.

Farhad Nazir, together with collegue Carlos Romaris of the University of Vigo in Spain, has published a paper in the proceedings of the Erasmus+ TEHIC conference on Training and Professionalisation in Heritage Interpretation: Challenges and Future Directions, held in May 2025 at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Nazir recently completed his doctoral degree in Tourism, Heritage, and Territory at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. He was awarded a Sylff fellowship in 2022 and a Sylff Research Grant in 2024.

His paper, titled “Community Heritage Interpretation and Sustainability of Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Swat, Pakistan,” argues that there is a significant correlation between the sustainability of heritage sites and the interpretation of such sites by the community, particularly in territories where socio-religious and socio-cultural disparities are prevalent.

The study substantiates the cultural narratives of the Muslim community in Bazira, Swat, Pakistan—a prominent Buddhist heritage site—through storytelling entailing dimensions of cultural pride and sense of ownership, using a qualitative research strategy.

Given the religious and cultural variances between the residing Muslim communities and Buddhist heritage, this study examines how the local community interprets the tangible and intangible dimensions of Buddhist heritage in comparison to their own culture.

The storytelling format of data collection through open-ended interviews revealed several semblances of architecture, wearables, and agriculture between the ancient Buddhist and existing Muslim communities. Given such cultural continuity, the current Muslim community advocates for and contributes to the sustainability of these sites. The study concludes with relevant implications and future research avenues.

Link to the portal of the University of Gothenburg: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/90217

Link to the publication: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/90217/TEHIC%20PROCEEDINGS%202025.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

As 2025 draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Sylff community for your continued commitment to the ideals and operations of our program. 

This year, we were delighted to welcome many fellows and administrators to our new office following our move to the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Building in the spring. Guests visited us from UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, the University of Chile, INSEAD, Comenius University, Deusto University, the University of Helsinki, the Fletcher School, the University of Texas at Austin, Jadavpur University, Canterbury University, and Jilin University.

In addition, members of the Sylff Association secretariat traveled to meet with university officials, SSC members, and fellows at the University of São Paulo, Princeton University, Columbia University, the Juilliard School, Paris Conservatoire, INSEAD, the University of Jordan, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, Chiang Mai University, Universiti Malaya, Jadavpur University, Waseda University, Jagiellonian University, the University of Latvia, and Keio University.

These visits provided valuable opportunities to catch up on Sylff program operations at each institution and to connect with both current and graduated fellows.

This year also saw the introduction of new application procedures for the Association’s two support programs. Both Sylff Research Grant (SRG) and Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) now follow unified timeline: calls for applications are announced in April, and applicants are notified of selection outcomes in September. The SRG award amount was increased to a maximum of USD 10,000 for international fieldwork, and efforts were made to enhance fairness in the SLI selection process by enlisting former SLI recipients as peer reviewers.

Follow the links below for news regarding these and other Sylff community activities over the past year. We wish you a joyful and peaceful holiday season and look forward to working with you in the coming year to advance the Sylff mission of developing leaders who bring about positive change in global society and the local community.

Please note that our office will be closed from December 27 to January 4.

Sylff＠Tokyo

Apr 14
Sylff@Tokyo: First Visitors to Our New Office

April 17
Sylff@Tokyo: UC San Diego Fellow Committed to Advancing Economic Betterment for All

May 1
Sylff@Tokyo: Advocating for a More Holistic Approach to Maternal Care

May 12
Sylff@Tokyo: INSEAD Strengthening Ties with Japan through Its Alumni

May 20
Sylff@Tokyo: Comenius University Strengthening Global Ties through International Outreach

May 20
Sylff@Tokyo: A Surprise Visit from a Fellow-Turned-Basque-Minister

Jun 5
Sylff@Tokyo: Deepening Sylff Ties with the University of Helsinki

Jul 10
Fletcher Cyber Expert Discusses Bilateral Security Issues during Japan Visit: Sylff@Tokyo

Aug 20
U of Texas Fellow’s Summer of Sustainable Impact: Sylff@Tokyo

Sep 29
Jadavpur Fellow Examining Policy Paths to Sustainability: Sylff@Tokyo

Oct 14
Impact through Empathy in Redressing Medical Harm: Sylff@Tokyo

Support Programs

Feb 12
Announcement: Updates to Sylff Support Programs in 2025

Feb 17
Sylff Research Grant (SRG) Recipients for Fiscal 2024

April 4
Applications for SRG and SLI in Fiscal 2025 to Open in May

Meetings with Fellows and Administrators

April 14
Event Held in Tokyo for Japanese Translation of Sofia Fellow’s Book

Jun 2
Finding Concrete Solutions to Real-World Issues: Online Orientation Meeting with “Pedro Arrupe” Fellows

Jun 5
Norwegian Foreign Minister Expresses Gratitude for Sylff Fellowship

Jun 19
Chairman Sasakawa Meets with Sussex Fellow During Albania Visit

Sep 8
Sounds of Hope: A Musical Journey from War-Torn Syria to Global Acclaim

Nov 19
Jilin University Delegation Visits Sylff Association Chairman Sasakawa

Across the Sylff Community

Dec 24, 2024
100th Anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue: Juilliard Dean, Fellow Interviewed by NYC Local Media

Feb 13
Invitation to Join the Nippon Foundation Scholars Association (TNFSA)

April 1
A New Start for the Tokyo Foundation

Oct 2
From Gadjah Mada Sylff Fellow to Academic Leadership

Dec 10
Coimbra Fellow Amit Singh Awarded 2025 Nordic Mela Peace Award

Amit Singh, left, receiving the award certificate from Professor Mirza Tasduq Baig and Talat Bhatt in Malmo, Sweden, in May 2025.

Amit Singh (University of Coimbra, 2020–21) has been awarded the Nordic Mela Peace Award 2025 in recognition of his significant contribution to the promotion of human rights, democracy, and intercommunal harmony in South Asia.

In presenting the award, the Swedish organization Mela Nordic cited Singh’s “outstanding commitment and dedication to the promotion of peace and social cohesion, human rights and freedom for all, as well as his efforts in defending freedom of expression and strengthening democratic values in the South Asian region.”

Singh, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, was a recipient of an SRG award in 2024, which he used to complete his post-doctoral project on “Hindu Populism against Religious Minorities and Resistance: Case Study of Varanasi.” The findings of the research and fieldwork, conducted mostly in India and Portugal, were presented at international conferences and academic lectures (including at Comenius University in Slovakia and the University of the Philippines in Manila) and published in the Journal of Dialogue Studies.

“This Peace Award acknowledges that issues such as human rights, democracy, peace, academic freedom, and freedom of expression and religion are under threat from India’s authoritarian Hindutva government,” Singh commented. “Receiving this award has boosted my confidence in my struggle against the anti-democratic, far-right populist regime in South Asia.

“This award would not have been possible without the help of Professor Dipak Malik, Dr. Bruno Sena Martins, Margie Gianan Singh, and organizations such as the Sylff Association in Japan and Mela Nordic in Sweden,” he added. “I hope to continue this pursuit so that we can live in a world that is inclusive, fair, and just for all, now and in the future.”

On November 10, 2025, a delegation from Jilin University, led by Professor and Executive Vice President Cai Lidong, paid a courtesy visit to Sylff Association Chairman Yohei Sasakawa.

Jilin University joined the Sylff community in 1992 and has produced more than 1,200 Sylff fellows to date. Professor Cai and Chairman Sasakawa reflected warmly on Jilin University’s longstanding ties with the Nippon Foundation and the Tokyo Foundation, and the two expressed hope for even deeper collaboration in the years ahead.

Professor Cai noted that he had long wished to visit Japan, as he was unable to attend the Sylff Administrators Meeting with five Chinese Sylff institutions at the Tokyo Foundation in 2024. He expressed his delight that the visit had finally materialized.

He also conveyed his gratitude for the enduring partnership and stated that Jilin University remains committed to actively supporting initiatives that foster the development of future leaders.

Sylff Association Chairman Yohei Sasakawa, left, and Jilin University Professor Cai Lidong.

On October 6, the Sylff Association secretariat had the pleasure of welcoming Jennifer Schulz (formerly Moore), who received a Sylff fellowship in 2000 while working toward a master’s in health sociology at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Now an associate professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, she blends expertise in health social sciences, law and public health medicine to advocate for more compassionate and effective responses to medical injuries.

Schulz was visiting Japan to pursue a collaborative partnership with Kobe University, an outgrowth of a presentation she gave at a conference in the city last year.

The Hidden Toll of Medical Accidents

“Medical injury is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the second in Australia,” Schulz explained. “It could be a surgical accident or an overdose. A lot of different things can go wrong, even in general practice.”

Her work focuses on helping patients who suffer medical harm, but injured patients often report that litigation can be traumatic, slow, expensive, and does not meet their needs. “The court system often makes them feel even worse.”

Legal cases can also turn health practitioners into “second victims” of harm events, Schulz says. “Having to go to court can be very traumatic for the doctors, too. They didn’t mean to hurt the patient, and they might want to say sorry, but in the courtroom that may be perceived as an admission of fault, despite apology protection laws.”

To address these challenges, Schulz promotes the Communication and Resolution Program—an alternative, no-fault process that allows hospitals to disclose medical injuries, investigate and explain what happened, apologize, and offer compensation when warranted. CRP is a framework for responding to unintentional patient harm by promoting open, honest, and empathetic communication, shifting the focus from the traditional “deny and defend” approach to a patient-centered model aimed at improving patient safety.

Policy Impact Through Personal Stories

In a recent journal article, Schulz documented the story of a young patient who was injured in a hospital when she was just 15. “It was an overdose, and she almost died. Her mental health deteriorated, she stopped going to school, and she had suicidal thoughts. It was very sad.”

Schulz had interviewed her for research on improving resolution after medical injury—conducted with the help of a Sylff Leadership Initiatives grant (2018–19). “I’ve kept in touch with her, and she’s participated in four studies with me. Now she’s graduated from university, and guess what she is? A physician’s assistant. She wants to help other people going through a similar experience.”

Schulz’s work is an excellent example of research leading not just to new academic insights but to real life impact, making a tangible difference in people’s lives. She worked for the New Zealand government as a legal and policy adviser in 2011–12, undertaking a socio-legal study on coroners’ recommendations across several countries, collecting data and conducting more than 100 interviews with over 40 respondents.

Her findings were published in a landmark 2016 book that revealed a need for stronger mechanisms to translate coronial recommendations into population-level mortality prevention. This prompted legislative changes, driven not by statistics alone but by the powerful personal testimonies of those interviewed.

“Politicians didn’t actually care about the numbers. It was only after they learned of the patients’ stories that they said, ‘We have to change the law.’”

Schulz’s next project is to examine medical harm resulting from the use of artificial intelligence—a timely and under-researched area. “AI is being used by doctors in New Zealand to take notes during consultations. But mistakes by these AI scribes have already led to physical harm.” Robotic-assisted surgery is another domain where AI-related harm could emerge. “The technology is exciting, but we need to understand its risks and build safeguards.”

Educating with Empathy

“I left academia to work in government for a while, but my passion is in teaching and working with young minds,” Schulz maintains. In 2018, her students selected her for the Inspiring Teacher Award, given to the best instructor in a first year UNSW undergraduate program. They called her a “phenomenal teacher” with “endless enthusiasm and passion that she brings to each lesson” and a “perfect mentor” who influenced their study direction.

Schulz laments the global trend toward reduced spending on many programs in the humanities. “Quantitative, scientific research is like the skeleton, but the humanities are the flesh,” she explained. “They are foundational, helping us understand what the numbers mean to people.”

Even as her daughter dreams of becoming a scientist, Schulz hopes she will also embrace the humanities—an education that fosters empathy and critical thinking.

Jennifer Schulz’s visit was a reminder of how research rooted in empathy can drive meaningful change. Her work not only advances academic understanding but also transforms lives—helping patients heal, guiding policy reform, and inspiring future generations. The Sylff Association secretariat is honored to support her work and looks forward to the continued ripple effects of her leadership. (Compiled by Nozomu Kawamoto)

On September 8, 2025, at Samantha Krida Hall, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia, the rector, Professor Widodo, inaugurated A. Faidlal Rahman as vice dean for academic affairs of the Faculty of Vocational Studies. The ceremony was conducted in a solemn atmosphere and attended by senior university officials.

At the inauguration ceremony, A. Faidlal Rahman signs the official document certifying his appointment as vice dean for academic affairs in the Faculty of Vocational Studies, as the rector, right, and other professors look on.

Rahman received his Sylff fellowship from Gadjah Mada University in 2008 and 2009 while working toward an MSc in tourism studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in tourism economics and completed his doctoral degree at the Faculty of Tourism, Universitas Udayana, Bali. He is also a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE).

In his new capacity, he will be responsible for advancing vocational education at Universitas Brawijaya by shaping academic policies; designing curricula that respond to the evolving needs of industry, business, and the workforce; as well as elevating the quality of teaching, research, and scholarly publications.

He is also tasked with strengthening the contribution of lecturers and students to the university’s tridharma—teaching, research, and community service—ensuring that the Faculty of Vocational Studies consistently produces graduates who are skilled, adaptive, and globally competitive.

As vice dean, he will give priority to accelerating the faculty’s internationalization through deeper engagement with overseas universities and stronger collaboration with global industries. The faculty aims to broaden opportunities for joint research, enrich its curriculum with international perspectives, provide access to internships abroad, and expand academic exchange programs for both faculty members and students.

Rahman hopes to leverage the Sylff network of prominent professionals at leading institutions as a platform for building meaningful international collaboration. He envisions creating long-term partnerships with universities and industries worldwide, not only strengthening the faculty’s role as a leading provider of vocational education in Indonesia but also promoting its evolution into an internationally recognized center of educational excellence.

On September 19, 2025, the Sylff Association secretariat was pleased to welcome Shyamasree Dasgupta, a Sylff fellow at Jadavpur University, during her visit to Japan for the annual Balaton Group Meeting—an international gathering of leading sustainability experts.

The secretariat had met Dasgupta on several occasions at Jadavpur University, but this marked her first visit to Japan. The Balaton Group—also convening in Japan for the first time—held its meeting from September 21 to 26 in the picturesque highland town of Kiyosato, northwest of Tokyo. The theme of this year’s discussion was “A Changing Climate for Disaster Risk Reduction.”

Dasgupta was selected as a Donella Meadows fellow by the Balaton Group in 2012. She also currently serves as an associate professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Mandi, India, where her research focuses on energy economics and climate change. “I look into industrial energy use, particularly in India, and how industries respond to different sustainability policies introduced by the government.” In addition, she explores climate change adaptation and the strengthening of socioeconomic pillars to create resilience against climate change.

Located in the Himalayan region, Mandi is part of a prestigious network of 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) established to foster scientific and technical education and advanced research. “The schools in the IIT system believe that you can’t work in silos. That’s why we don’t have a separate Department of Sociology, History, or Economics. We collaborate across disciplines to address complex challenges.”

One of her major interdisciplinary projects investigates the wide use of biomass as cooking fuel in India, which has been linked to indoor air pollution and health risks, especially for women and children. “We want to understand why people choose biomass, assess the health effects, and estimate the cost of mitigating the problem.”

Dasgupta credits her Sylff fellowship at Jadavpur—awarded during her MPhil studies in 2009 and again from 2011 to 2014 while working for her PhD—with providing a very strong grounding in interdisciplinary research.

“The Sylff program at Jadavpur is very open in nature and is an excellent platform for interaction. It’s also very rigorous and serious business for the fellows. We’re required to attend Progress Review Workshops every three months and make presentations in front of our mentors. If five people were giving presentations, then there’ll be five professors from different disciplines, and everybody will comment on your work. This feedback from many different angles was really helpful.”

She added, “It was very intense, but it prepared us well for our subsequent careers. We get the emails of all new fellows, and we still keep in touch with each other. The Sylff network at Jadavpur remains very strong.”

The Sylff Association secretariat is proud of Dasgupta’s ongoing contributions to sustainability in India and beyond. We warmly welcome all fellows and steering committee members to visit us during their time in Tokyo. (Compiled by Nozomu Kawamoto)

In the world of classical music, few institutions carry the weight of history and prestige like the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris. Alongside the Juilliard School in New York and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, it stands as one of the world’s most revered music schools—an elite training ground for generations of top artists.

Founded in 1795 during the French Revolution, the Conservatoire de Paris traces its roots back to 1669, when Louis XIV established the Royal Academy of Music. Originally housed in the Palace of Versailles as a school for vocal and dramatic arts, it has since become one of the most respected institutions for higher music education. With alumni like Claude Debussy and Georges Bizet, it has served as a model for music academies around the world.

On a spring afternoon in Paris, the Conservatoire’s campus in La Villette Park was filled with the energy of young musicians from around the world. Among them was Bilal Alnemr, a Syrian-born violinist whose path to the Conservatoire has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Alnemr received a Sylff fellowship in 2019 and 2020 while working toward a master’s degree in classical instrumental music. But his journey began far from the concert halls of Europe—in the war-ravaged streets of Damascus.

“It’s been a series of miracles,” Alnemr says, reflecting on the path that brought him here.

A Toy Violin and a Father’s Faith

Alnemr’s earliest memory of music is a toy violin, gifted to him as a baby by his father, a passionate lover of music. The toy did not produce any sound, but the young boy’s relentless attempts to make it sing revealed a spark of talent. Noticing this, his father spent three months’ worth of the family’s living expenses to buy a real violin for his three-year-old son.

From that moment, music became Alnemr’s world. While other children played outside, he practiced in the basement of a local music school. At night, his father climbed onto the roof to adjust their satellite dish, tuning into French classical broadcasts at a time when access to international broadcast was prohibited by the Assad regime. He recorded the music onto DVDs, which became Bilal’s teachers.

In 2007, at age 11, Alnemr won Syria’s national competition for young musicians. His prize: a blue Sony Walkman. “That’s why I feel a special connection to Japan,” he says with a smile.

A Rising Star in Exile

Alnemr’s talent quickly gained recognition. After winning Syria’s Solhi Al-Wadi International Competition, he began performing across the Middle East and beyond—in India, Russia, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Then, in 2010, a French music teacher offered him a life-changing opportunity: admission to the Darius Milhaud Conservatory of Music in Aix-en-Provence. At just 13, Alnemr left Syria alone to pursue his dream.

But within a year, the Arab Spring ignited a brutal civil war in Syria. Alnemr was stranded in France, unable to return home or see his family. He practiced relentlessly, often from early morning until evening, driven by both ambition and heartbreak.

His dedication paid off, as he was unanimously accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris in 2013. A year later, he was named solo violinist for the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra. His performances caught the attention of renowned French violinist Renaud Capuçon, and Alnemr began winning international competitions.

In 2021, with the help of a Sylff fellowship, he earned his master’s degree from the Conservatoire, cementing his place among the world’s rising stars.

Music as a Bridge for Peace

Alnemr’s artistry is matched by his humanitarian vision. In 2019, he joined the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by conductor Daniel Barenboim and scholar Edward Said to unite young musicians from Israel and Arab states. The orchestra, which performed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and was honored by Japan’s Praemium Imperiale international art prize, stands as a symbol of coexistence through music.

That same year, Alnemr performed alongside legendary opera singer and human rights activist Barbara Hendricks at a UNHCR concert in Geneva, supporting education for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.

In 2021, after collaborations with Barenboim, Capuçon, and pianist Hélène Grimaud, Alnemr was officially recognized by the French government for his cultural contributions and granted French citizenship.

A Family Reunited

In 2016, five years after the war began, Alnemr was finally reunited with his family. His parents and sister arrived in the idyllic village of Vauvenargues near Aix-en-Provence carrying only two suitcases. The village, nestled beneath Mont Sainte-Victoire—immortalized by Cézanne and home to Picasso’s tomb—became their sanctuary.

To thank the community, Alnemr held a classical concert there in July 2022. The music of Beethoven and Mendelssohn echoed through the village’s cobbled streets, a tribute to resilience and gratitude.

“I’m deeply grateful to Japan and the Tokyo Foundation,” he says. “I’ll never forget the support I received.”

A Voice for Syria

Though the Assad regime collapsed in December 2024, Syria remains unstable, plagued by violence, factional conflict, and humanitarian crisis. In response, Alnemr co-founded a nonprofit in Switzerland to promote musical exchange between Syria and the international community.

“As a ‘citizen musician,’ I want to help bring peace and stability to my homeland,” he says.

From a silent toy violin in Damascus to standing ovations in Europe’s grandest halls, Bilal Alnemr’s story is a testament to the power of music—and the human spirit. (Compiled by Noburu Okabe)

Translated from an article originally published on the Tokyo Foundation’s Japanese website