The UCD Centre for Japanese Studies (UCD-JaSt) Official Launch Webinar Series

February 2021

Last April, the establishment of the UCD Centre for Japanese Studies was approved by the Academic Council in UCD. Hit by COVID-19 from March onwards, this continued into the new academic year and we were unable to hold our official launch events. Instead, given the tough year we were in, to lift our spirit and connect our friends in Ireland, Japan and elsewhere, we decided to move our annual UCD Japan Fair to an online platform. We discussed with our partners and stakeholders, particularly the UCD Japanese Society (with approx.. 450 members). We held 5 webinars (covering the themes of Japanese food, music, theatre, job opportunities, and politics) in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and the Ireland Japan Association, and the UCD Japanese Society (with 450 members).Some of the seminars are now on our YouTube Channel ((opens in a new window)https://bit.ly/37YFtpO).  

We are now planning two Webinars to officially launch our Centre in February 2021.

[1] 12 February 2021, 1-2pm (live) “Why Japan Matters”
Speaker: H.E. Mr Mitsuru Kitano (Ambassador of Japan to Ireland), with Prof. John Neary (School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice) & Dr Declan Downey (School of History)
(opens in a new window)https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-webinar-why-japan-matters-tickets-135845687107?aff=erelexpmlt

[2] 16 February 2021, 9-10am (partly pre-recorded, partly live) “Why Women Leaders?”
Speaker: Chancellor Prof. Mariko Bando (Chancellor, Showa Women’s University), with Prof. Gerardine Doyle (Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School) and Prof. Christina Davis (Director of the Program on U.S.-Japan Relations & Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University – external academic advisor for the Centre)
(opens in a new window)https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/launch-webinar-why-women-leaders-fostering-tomorrows-leaders-in-japan-tickets-134527187439?aff=erelpanelorg