On March 20, the inauguration of the 28th on-site education program between Nankai University and Aichi University was held at the Aichi Hall on Balitai Campus. The ceremony was attended by Prof. Chen Jun, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice President of Nankai University, alongside Prof. Sunayama Yukio, Dean of the Faculty of Modern Chinese Studies, Aichi University.

Prior to the ceremony, Chen Jun met with Prof. Sunayama and delegation from Aichi University. Prof. Chen spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes of the program over the years and expressed his hope for enhanced academic exchanges and deeper collaboration between the two institutions.

At the ceremony, Chen Jun extended a warm welcome to the faculty and students from Aichi University on behalf of Nankai University. In his address, Prof. Chen highlighted the remarkable achievements of the joint on-site education program, which has trained over 4,000 students over the past 28 years since its inception in the founding year of the Faculty of Modern Chinese Studies at Aichi University. The program has served as a bridge for language and cultural dialogue between China and Japan and become a standout in Sino-Japanese educational exchange. He hoped that, based on this successful program, the two institutions could further strengthen collaboration  and work together to cultivate more cultural ambassadors to promote friendship between China and Japan.

In his remarks, Prof. Sunayama emphasized the achievements of the on-site education program over the years. He also encouraged participants in this term to leverage the program’s immersive environment to learnChinese language, experience Chinese culture, and embrace the unity of knowledge and action, which he believed is the key to acquiring substantive knowledge, exchanging ideas, and deepening their understanding of China.

In their speeches, the student representatives from Aichi University,   Kunitachi Kentaro and Ota Yuna, expressed their enthusiasm for the opportunity to improve their practical Chinese language skills, develop global perspectives, build lasting friendships with Chinese peers and faculty, and create unforgettable memories through their time at Nankai University.

This year’s on-site education program will see 138 Japanese students embarking on a four-month academic journey at NKU. The curriculum will combine Chinese language training and courses on Chinese culture with hands-on experiential learning activities. Through this vibrant, comprehensive curriculum, students will gain genuine understanding of China.

Aichi University, founded in 1946, is a comprehensive liberal arts institution with three campuses in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The university offers programs across seven undergraduate faculties, a junior college, and eight graduate schools. The Faculty of Modern Chinese Studies was established at Aichi University in 1997, marking Japan’s first academic faculty with “China” in its name. The collaborative on-site education program between Nankai University and Aichi University was launched in the same year. This partnership has since produced influential alumni working across political, economic and cultural spheres in China and Japan. Additionally, the two institutions have launched a joint doctoral dual-degree program. 

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)