February 2024
The Centre welcomes delegations from Hiroshima City University and the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation.
JaSt held an evening seminar ‘Is Hiroshima still radioactive?’ with Professor Robert Jacobs (Hiroshima City University) in the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) on the 20th of February We also launched a two-week long poster exhibition on the theme of ‘nuclear bombs and their aftermath in Hiroshima’ in the Student Centre on the Belfield Campus on the same day. These events are hosted by the UCD Centre for Japanese Studies (JaSt), and supported by Hiroshima City University and the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. These series of events were initiated by the visit of Ceann Comhairle Mr Seán Ó Fearghaíl T.D. to Hiroshima in February 2023.
There have been a lot of initiatives since Taoiseach, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D. and Prime Minister Mr. Kishida Fumio met in Tokyo and signed the Joint Statement between Ireland and Japan “Taking Forward Partnership with Shared Ambition” on 20 July, 2022.
The 1.5hr-long seminar was very well attended, and the Q&A session was particularly lively with many questions posed by UCD students, and Prof. Jacobs' strong engagement. The seminar was opened by H.E. Mr Norio Maruyama (Ambassador of Japan to Ireland), and chaired by Dr Declan Downey (UCD School of History and the UCD Centre for Japanese Studies). The attendees included: Senator Emer Currie, Senator John Cummins, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin (College Principal, UCD College of Arts and Humanities) and College Vice-Principal for Global Engagement (Arts and Humanities), Assoc. Prof. Conor Mulvagh.
The poster exhibition was launched on the same day (Special thanks to the UCD Student Services Team, particularly Rob).
(Left to Right: Mr Yusuke Akishima & Prof. Robert Jacobs, Hiroshima City University (HCU), and Assoc. Prof. Kodate)
Some of the key organising members of these series of events were invited by the Japanese Ambassador to his residence.
(Left to Right: Mr Akishima (HCU), Dr Declan Downey, UCD History/JaSt, Prof. Robert Jacobs (HCU), H.E. Mr Norio Maruyama (Japanese Ambassador to Ireland), Prof. Emma Sokell, Head of School, UCD Physics/Deputy Director, JaSt, Assoc. Prof. Kodate, UCD SPWJ/Director, JaSt, Mr Hugo O’Donnell, Chairperson, Experience Japan/JaSt/UCD Global Engagement)
On the 22nd of February, Mr Takehiro Kagawa (Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation and Secretary General of Mayors for Peace Secretary, and former Japanese Ambassador to Egypt) also visited UCD, separately from the earlier delegation. He met and conversed with UCD students from various Societies including Law, Politics & International Relations and History and others.
UCD students with Mr Takehiro Kagawa, Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation / Mayors for Peace Secretary (in the middle).
(Left to Right: Mr Shintaro Takeuchi, Mayors for Peace Secretariat, Hiroshima, Adjunct Prof. John Neary, School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice (SPWJ)/JaSt, Prof. Emma Sokell, School of Physics/JaSt, Mr Takehiro Kagawa, Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, Dr Declan Downey, School of History/JaSt, Assoc. Prof. Nao Kodate, SPWJ/JaSt)