Scholarship Division
ACTIVITIES IN FISCAL 1999-2000
The creation of human capital capable of and committed to the peaceful coexistence of people of different cultures and Value systems is a long-term endeavor. The Scholarship Division has strengthened its commitment to developing human capital with the ability to think flexibly about various issues, increasing international awareness and enhancing respect for diverse value systems.
More specifically, the Scholarship Division supports fellowship programs and other activity for the pursuit of graduate level studies in the social sciences and humanities, as well as in the transportation and maritime-related fields. Moving beyond the acquisition of specialized knowledge and experience, programs aim to facilitate the development of insight and to encourage bold action on global issues by award recipients that transcend geopolitical, cultural, religious and other borders.
Established in 1987 by The Nippon Foundation, the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) program is administered by the Scholarship Division. Under this program, 61 universities and consortia in 40 countries have received endowments of US$1 million each.
Endowments are managed by each institution and the earnings used to provide fellowships to graduate students, particularly those focusing on transdisciplinary, transnational subjects.
During the current fiscal year, the 61st endowment was presented to the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance. Consequently, the SYLFF network now embraces 79 universities. In an aim to further strengthen this network, the SYLFF Administrators' Professional Development Program was implemented for three years beginning in fiscal 1998. The Program invites administrators involved in the administration of fellowships at SYLFF-endowed institutions to New York City and Washington, D.C., for four weeks of intensive training in fellowship program management and international higher education. In this way, the Program plays a role in reinforcing the worldwide fellowship network.
The Scholarship Division also administers The Nippon Foundation Fund for Japanese Language Education (NFFJLE) program which supports the development of Japanese language education at eight universities in six countries.
With its primary focus on the transportation and maritime-related fields, the World Maritime University (WMU) Fellowship Program sponsors 50 graduate students, or one-fourth of the student body each year, and is the largest fellowship program at WMU.
To further contribute to the development of human resources, exchange and professional development programs for university faculty are implemented on a global scale. Initiated in fiscal 1998-1999, the Japanese University Faculty Overseas Lecture Program is one such program that supports Japanese university professors to teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in their respective academic disciplines, within the parameters of the social sciences and humanities, and in the language of instruction at the host university. The outcome of this initiative is expected to benefit students, including those from abroad studying at universities in Japan.
