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Sylff

About
- Sylff Program
  
  Cultivating leaders of tomorrow in countries worldwide
  
  Mission & Philosophy
  
  The goals of the Sylff Program and the leadership qualities it seeks to nurture
- Message from the Chairman
  
  Promoting peaceful and socially inclusive development
  
  Sylff Association
  
  Platform to bring all Sylff stakeholders closer together
- History
  
  Major milestones since the program's inception in 1987
  
  Contact
  
  Ask questions, offer comments, or come visit us in Tokyo
Institutions
Fellows
Support Programs
- Overview
- Research
  
  Research Grant (SRG)
  
  Up to US$5,000 to support doctoral and post-doc fellows’ academic research activities in their field of expertise.
  
  Research Abroad
  (SRA)
  
  Up to US$5,000 to support research in a foreign country for a doctoral dissertation.
- Social Action
  
  Leadership
  Initiatives (SLI)
  
  Up to US$10,000 for social action projects and conferences/workshops initiated by fellows.
  
  Project Grant (SPG)
  
  Large-scale grants for projects with potential for substantial social impact.
- Networking
  
  Leaders Workshop
  
  Opportunities for intercultural group learning and leadership enhancement.
News & Voices
Administrators
Operation Manual
- Overview
- Conventional Scheme
  
  Guidelines on program and endowment management
- New Scheme
  
  For institutions wishing to focus on program operations
- Administrators Meetings
  
  Learn best practices and meet other Sylff administrators

Sylff News

Jun 19, 2025

Chairman Sasakawa Meets with Sussex Fellow During Albania Visit

Following his attendance at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, held from June 9 to 13, 2025, Sylff Association Chairman Yohei Sasakawa visited the Albanian capital of Tirana.

There, Chairman Sasakawa met with Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Prime Minister Edi Rama, and Foreign Minister Igli Hasani. At a luncheon hosted by Japanese Ambassador to Albania Kikuko Kato, he also reconnected with Odeta Barbullushi, a 2003 Sylff fellowship recipient at the University of Sussex, where she earned a master’s degree with honors in contemporary European studies.

Chairman Sasakawa with Sussex fellow Odeta Barbullushi, a guest at a luncheon hosted by Japanese Ambassador Kikuko Kato.

Barbullushi is currently a resident professor at the Tirana campus of the College of Europe. She is a foreign policy expert and former diplomat, she has served as sherpa and advisor to the Albanian prime minister on EU integration and regional cooperation, as well as deputy minister of foreign affairs and chief of cabinet to the minister for Europe and foreign affairs.

Sasakawa with other participants of a UNOC3 meeting with UN Secretary-General Guterres, center.

At UNOC3, Chairman Sasakawa delivered a speech during Ocean Action Panel 2 on the theme: “Increasing Ocean-Related Scientific Cooperation, Knowledge, Capacity Building, Marine Technology and Education to Strengthen the Science-Policy Interface for Ocean Health.” He also attended a meeting with US Secretary-General António Guterres.

Sasakawa receives a doctor honoris causa from Western Balkans University President Ferdinand Gjana.

In Tirana, Chairman Sasakawa was awarded an honorary doctorate from Western Balkans University “in recognition of his visionary leadership and extraordinary contribution to global well-being, social inclusion, and human dignity.” He delivered an “emotional and inspiring” speech recounting his life journey—from a childhood marked by loss and postwar hardship to a lifelong commitment to humanitarian causes and the protection of human dignity.

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