The Sylff Association Secretariat is pleased to announce a recent recipient of a Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) award. SLI supports Sylff fellows’ initiatives to change society for the better with awards of up to US$10,000.

The winner, chosen from among many applicants, is Mauricio Artiñano.

Artiñano, center in first row, wearing black jacket, with the project members.

Since completing his master’s in public affairs at Princeton University, Mauricio Artiñano has served in various countries as a member of United Nations Peacekeeping Operation, most recently completing a six-year assignment as part of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia.

His SLI project aims to promote democratic election practices for the nationwide municipal elections to be held in 2024 in Costa Rica. To accomplish this, Artiñano will lead an ethical pact movement that will be implemented by youth volunteers.

Congratulations to Mauricio Artiñano on winning the award. We are looking forward to supporting many more social initiatives that can lead to positive change in society.

Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, celebrated the 30^th anniversary of its Sylff Program with a ceremony on October 25, held in the historic Assembly Hall of Collegium Maius, and a seminar on October 26.

Sylff 30th Anniversary at Jagiellonian University (October 2023)

At the commemorative ceremony, opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Armen Edigarian, the University’s Vice-Rector for Education Affairs; Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation; and Prof. Paweł Laidler, Dean of the Faculty of International and Political Studies and the Chairperson of the Sylff Steering Committee.

“Today, we are not just celebrating the anniversary but also appraising the knowledge that has been generated and the changes made to the societies by Sylff fellows,” said Vice-Rector Edigarian.

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa said, “It is our pride and joy that we have been able to build our wonderful friendship with the Jagiellonian University. I sincerely hope that it will continue to play a pivotal role in further expanding the friendship between two nations.”

The participants expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the long-term commitment and support to nurture leaders as Sylff fellows, who can contribute to global society and the local community.

On the second day of the anniversary celebrations, a seminar titled “20 Months of the War in Ukraine” was held at the Faculty of International and Political Studies. Prof. Thomas Biersteker of the Geneva Graduate Institute delivered a keynote speech on the impact and implications of sanctions towards Russia. It was followed by another keynote speech by Mr. Jumpei Sasakawa, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, about the Foundation’s support for evacuees from Ukraine.

Sylff 30th Anniversary seminar at Jagiellonian University (October 2023)

Delegation members from both The Nippon Foundation and the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research enjoyed socializing with many Sylff fellows during the breaks. The seminar also featured two speakers from another Sylff institution, Charles University in Praha, Česko, which the Jagiellonian University has good networks with.

The Sylff Association secretariat is confident that our relationship with the University will continue to grow for years to come.

(From left) Rebekah Junkermeier, Debbie Carney, director Keita Sugai, and program officer Konatsu Furuya.

On October 24, 2023, Rebekah Junkermeier and Debbie Carney of the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business visited the Sylff Association secretariat to share updates about Texas fellows. Junkermeier is the director of global learning and Carney is a global engagement strategist at McCombs.

Through the Global Career Launch program, two McCombs MBA fellows led a team of undergraduate students in an internship with a local NGO providing business solutions to a small business in Oaxaca, Mexico. In the Global Connections program, five MBA fellows coordinated undergraduate courses that examined a variety of case studies, from sustainability and renewable energy in Latin America to entrepreneurship in Ghana.

Through programs like these, Junkermeier and Carney explained, the impact of the Sylff fellowship is not limited to the recipients themselves but also extends to undergraduate students at Texas. The programs also provide opportunities for transformative experiences through the exploration of other cultures and play an important role in cultivating a global perspective.

We thank Junkermeier and Carney for taking the time to visit us and look forward to receiving news of further success in the Sylff program at the University of Texas at Austin.

Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Sylff Association and The Nippon Foundation, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Belgrade. Rector Vladan Djokic conferred a Doctor Honoris Causa at a ceremony held at the Serbian embassy in Tokyo on September 29, 2023.

Sasakawa being presented with an honorary doctorate by Professor Djokic.

In her welcome speech, Aleksandra Kovač, Serbian ambassador to Japan, acknowledged the continuous efforts being made by the chairman and The Nippon Foundation to promote academic and cultural exchange between the Republic of Serbia and Japan. In 2013, Sasakawa was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit from the Republic of Serbia for his significant contributions to improving bilateral relations.

Djokic explained that the award recognizes the chairman’s longstanding involvement in nurturing leaders, beginning with the establishment of the Sylff fellowship for doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities at the University of Belgrade in 1988. He also expressed high appreciation for the support provided to fellows facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(From left) Executive Director Mari Suzuki of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, Ambassador Kovač, Rector Djokic, Chairman Sasakawa, and President Izumi Kadono of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.

In expressing his gratitude for the honorary doctorate, Sasakawa said, “It’s a great pleasure being able to contribute to deeper ties between Serbia and Japan, and I’ll continue to promote exchange and friendship between the citizens of our two countries. I also hope to develop the Sylff community into a dynamic global network of fellows who are always ready to assist each other.”

The Sylff Association Secretariat is pleased to announce a recent recipient of a Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI) award. SLI supports Sylff fellows’ initiatives to change society for the better with awards of up to US$10,000.

Dorjkhand Sharavjamts, a Sylff fellowship recipient in 2020–21 at the National Academy of Governance, holds a PhD in applied psychology and a master’s in public administration. She is currently working as a psychologist, providing therapy and counseling to clients.

Sharavjamts, left, and project members.

With the SLI grant, she will hold a conference for academics, policymakers, and mental health practitioners to raise awareness of how childhood trauma affects mental health. Over the long term, she hopes to foster partnerships among various stakeholders and bridge the gap between research and practice to enable more effective, evidence-based interventions.

Congratulations to Dorjkhand Sharavjamts on winning the award. The Sylff Association secretariat is pleased to support to fellows who are taking social action by applying their expertise to build a better world for all. Applications for an SLI grant are open to fellows interested in initiating a project of their own.

Mike Zhongyu He, a 2017–19 Sylff fellowship recipient at Columbia University, visited the Sylff Association secretariat on August 30, 2023, during his trip to Tokyo.

He is a postdoctoral fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University and Barnard College. He received his PhD in environmental health sciences from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in 2020.

(From left) Executive director Mari Suzuki, Mike Zhongyu He, program officer Maki Shimada, director Keita Sugai, and program officer Konatsu Furuya.

His research interests include methods in environmental epidemiology, air pollution exposure modeling, and health impact assessments. He told the Sylff Association secretariat that the COVID pandemic simulated a real-world experiment offering insights into how international travel affects global warming.

Outside of research, He is an avid classical music enthusiast and an active singer of operatic and oratorio works. Over lunch, He shared with us how he integrates the love of his life—opera—into his classroom teaching activities. He also has a passion for traveling and conducts fieldwork all over the world.

Read more about He’s academic and artistic activities on his personal webpage:

https://mikezhe.com/index.html

The Sylff Association secretariat is pleased to share wonderful news that Evgeniy Kandilarov has been awarded a Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation.

The commendation was presented to Kandilarov by Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Narahira.

Kandilarov received a Sylff fellowship in 2003 from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Bulgaria and is now an associate professor in the Japanese Studies Department at his alma mater. He used his fellowship to conduct research in Japan, focusing on political, economic, and cultural relations between Bulgaria and Japan during modern times.

The commendation acknowledges not only his academic achievements but also his significant contributions to deepening understanding of Japan in his home country and promoting friendship between the two countries.

The award was presented by Hiroshi Narahira, Japanese ambassador to Bulgaria, at an award ceremony held at the university on April 27, 2023. The event was attended by the university rector, Professor Anastas Gerdjikov, and members of the university faculty and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Guests at the ceremony, including those who mentored Kandilarov’s research.

“This award is very valuable to me because it recognizes the social benefits of my academic work,” Kandilarov said at the ceremony, adding that he hopes to meet the expectations and responsibilities placed on him by working even harder for the development of Bulgarian-Japanese relations in the future.

Kandilarov expresses his gratitude for the award.

Celebrating Kandilarov’s award.

The Sylff Association secretariat was thrilled to learn of the award and offers its warmest congratulations to Kandilarov for his achievements. We wish him even greater success in his research activities and the promotion of good relations between Bulgaria and Japan.

All photos from Sofia University's website.

Timothy Chooi, a 2018–19 Sylff fellowship recipient at the Juilliard School, visited the Sylff Association secretariat with his older brother, Nikki, for an office concert on May 22, 2023.

Program
1) Bach: “Andante” from Sonata No. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 (Timothy Chooi) [1:25-5:55]
2) Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins (Nikki and Timothy Chooi) [7:00-22:05]
3) Massenet: Meditation from “Thaïs” (Nikki and Timothy Chooi) [22:15-27:45]

The Chooi brothers are on a tour of several countries in Asia and stopped by the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research during their stay in Japan. Timothy currently performs on the 1709 “Engleman” Stradivarius violin, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, a sister organization of the Tokyo Foundation.

(From left) Reiko Ishikawa and Tamio Kano of the Nippon Music Foundation; Nikki and Timothy Chooi; executive director Mari Suzuki, program officer Maki Shimada, and director Keita Sugai.

Visit the websites of Timothy and Nikki Chooi to learn more about their achievements and upcoming concerts:
Timothy Chooi: https://www.timothychooi.com/
Nikki Chooi: https://www.nikkichooi.com/

Erika Mitsui, a 2015–16 Sylff fellowship recipient at the Juilliard School, visited the Sylff Association secretariat on May 8, 2023. She is a multitalented fellow, having graduated from Columbia University with a degree in East Asian studies before earning a master’s in violin at the Julliard School and receiving a medical degree (MD) at Columbia.

(From left) Program officer Maki Shimada, Sylff fellow Erika Mitsui, and executive director Mari Suzuki.

Her visit, which was her second to the Tokyo Foundation, came right after the Golden Week string of holidays in Japan. With her social science, musical, and medical degrees, she is contributing to society in a very unique way.

After graduating from the Juilliard School, she spent about a year playing the violin at various public venues, including an inpatient ward of a hospital. This was an eye-opening experience that convinced her that music has the power to heal people even with serious diseases like cancer and to ease emotional hardships. She thus chose to embark on a new career path that would enable her make a direct impact on the lives of people in the community.

From this summer, she will serve as a resident physician at Columbia, advancing her training in anesthesiology, internal medicine, and the respiratory system. She is also continuing to promote physical and emotional healing through music, taking part in a concert at a hospital with an orchestra.

She contributes actively to the community as a member of the New York–based Japanese Medical Society for America, exploring ways to overcome complications from COVID-19; she also works on a website to encourage both healthy and ill people to think about their life closure preferences—for example, whether or not they seek life-prolonging treatment. Most medical books about this issue are published in English, so she hopes to translate them into Japanese and other languages.

We thank Mitsui for visiting the Foundation and wish her continued success in her professional career.

The Sylff Association secretariat is pleased to announce a call for applications for two Sylff Support Programs in fiscal 2023: Sylff Research Grant (SRG) and Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI). These two programs are intended to support the academic and social engagement activities of eligible fellows.

Use the links below to check the respective eligibility requirements, application procedures, and deadlines:

SRG: https://www.sylff.org/support_programs/srg/

SLI: https://www.sylff.org/support_programs/sli/

There will be a pre-screening phase for both programs (preliminary registration for SRG and a concept paper for SLI) to determine the eligibility of applicants. The secretariat will NOT respond to individual inquiries concerning eligibility. Please visit the above pages to confirm your eligibility BEFORE applying. Applications from ineligible fellows will NOT be reviewed.

For SRG, please submit a preliminary registration form (powered by Google) from the link at the bottom of the SRG page. For SLI, please submit a concept paper via e-mail to the Sylff Association secretariat (sylff[a]tkfd.or.jp*)
*replace [a] with @).

We look forward to receiving your submissions!