• TOP >
  • Initiatives >
  • Soka University >
  • NEWS >
  • Six Students from the Faculty of International Liberal Arts and the Faculty of Economics Participate in the 65th International Student Conference and Submit Policy Proposal to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs

Soka University

Six Students from the Faculty of International Liberal Arts and the Faculty of Economics Participate in the 65th International Student Conference and Submit Policy Proposal to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs

September 23, 2019

Six students from Soka University participated in the 65th International Student Conference held from August 25 to September 2, 2019. The participating students were: Towa Kakuo (third-year), Yuko Sasaki (third-year), Hanano Sawamura (second-year), Hideyuki Mihara (second-year), and Masami Takasu (second-year) from the Faculty of International Liberal Arts, along with Thai student Theeritsara Laopaiboonpipat (second-year) from the Faculty of Economics.

The International Student Conference started in 1954 through support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the aim of the conference is to return to society the results of the preliminary studies and discussions at the conference as a policy proposal and to promote exchange between the participating Japanese and foreign students.

At this year's 65th conference, discussions were held under six themes relating to the global refugee crisis in the Japanese context, feminist perspectives on wars and conflicts, freedom of speech and its restrictions in the world today, economic growth and human well-being, mental health of youth, and marine plastic pollution. At the Final Forum held on September 1, Director of the UNESCO Regional Education Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Shigeru Aoyagi gave a keynote speech, and the participating students were able to gain deeper knowledge.

On September 5, the students visited the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Norikazu Suzuki as members of the Japan National Student Association and submitted the results of the discussion at the Student Conference as a policy proposal.

One of the participants, Yuko Sasaki, third-year of the Faculty of International Liberal Arts, said, "I was able to broaden my perspective through the cultural exchanges, in addition to the discussions on global issues with students from various nationalities and backgrounds. All of the participants were very passionate about solving international issues, and I am grateful to have had the chance to meet them. I am determined to actively take on challenges going forward in an effort to contribute to society from an international point of view inside and outside Soka University."

 

20190916183926-2.jpg