Intensifying cooperation between the Embassy of Japan and the University of Sarajevo

H. E. Makoto Ito, Ambassador of Japan to BiH, visited the University of Sarajevo on 27 January 2021, where he met with Rector, Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj. Ambassador Ito was accompanied by Ms. Hisae Minami, Cultural Attaché and Head of the Department of Culture and Public Relations of the Embassy of Japan, and the University delegation, in addition to Rector Škrijelj, university delegation consisted of Vice-Rector for Research, Prof. Dr. Mirza Dautbašić, Faculty of Philosophy Dean, Prof. Dr. Muhamed Dželilović and Prof. Dr. Selma Đuliman, also from the Faculty of Philosophy.

The intensification of cooperation between the Embassy of Japan and the University of Sarajevo and academic cooperation between the Universities of Japan and the University of Sarajevo were just some of the topics during Ambassador Ito's first visit to the University of Sarajevo.

Ambassador Makoto Ito stated that close cooperation in the field of language has been achieved with the University of Sarajevo, and that his goal is to strengthen it. Ambassador Ito reminded that the Government of Japan has been offering scholarships for many years, primarily in the field of education, emphasizing its importance and significance not only in BiH but in the entire Western Balkans.

During the meeting, the importance of inter-university cooperation was emphasized, and Rector Škrijelj reminded that the University of Sarajevo has signed a Cooperation Agreement with the University of Meiji in Tokyo since 2008 and with the University of Sofia in Tokyo since 2015. Both agreements are signed for an indefinite period of time and are automatically renewed. He also stated that since 2013, a Japanese language course has been held at our University, which was realized in the period from 2013 to 2016 in the premises of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and from the academic 2016/2017, it has entered the official university program offer by Faculty of Philosophy.
Emphasizing that the introduction of Japanese language studies at the University of Sarajevo is invaluable, Rector Škrijelj assessed the cooperation between the University of Sarajevo and the Embassy of Japan in BiH as extremely successful and expressed gratitude for everything that the Government of Japan has done for Bosnia and Herzegovina through various support programs. , Sarajevo, University of Sarajevo and the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The meeting ended with the expressed mutual readiness and openness to intensify cooperation, and it was emphasized that cultural diversity is very important and represents the driving force of any society.