FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS AND THE CREATION OF A HUMAN CAPITAL NETWORK
The Scholarship Division supports fellowship programs for graduate study within the parameters of the social sciences, humanities, transportation and maritime fields and follow-up and professional development programs to contribute to the creation and enhancement of human resources.
THE RYOICHI SASAKAWA YOUNG LEADERS FELLOWSHIP FUND (SYLFF) PROGRAM \75,104,450
The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellow-ship Fund (SVLFF) program aims to foster the development of leaders throughout the world by overseeing fellow-ship funds for graduate students in the social sciences and humanities. The Foundation does not offer fellowships directly to students. Rather, proceeds generated from endowment funds are used to provide fellowships to students who are selected by independent committees at participating institutions.
The Scholarship Division administers the SYLFF program in collaboration with The Nippon Foundation, which presents selected universities and consortia with endowments of US$1 million each. Follow-up programs and other activities are also implemented to enrich the graduate education of fellowship recipients ("SYLFF Fellows") and other graduate students, and to foster the creation of a global network of SYLFF Fellows and institutions.
Endowment Administration Projects
｡?ew Endowments
Since the launch of the SYLFF program in 1987, 60 institutions of higher education in 39 countries have received endowments. During the fiscal year under review, the 61st endowment was presented to the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance, the first university in Japan to receive an endowment. As a result, the network of SYLFF-endowed institutions has grown to 61 universities and consortia for a total of 7,500 fellowship recipients.
｡?isits to Existing SYLFF-endowed Institutions
｡?YLFF Administrators' Professional Development Program
SYLFF administrators from nine universities in China (3 universities), Greece, Slovakia, Mexico, Indonesia, Bulgaria and South Africa participated in a professional development program convened at Columbia University (U.S.), from June 19 to July 16, 1999. This intensive program combined English for professional purposes, lectures and workshops on fellowship administration, as well as general theories and practices of international education. Field visits to universities, foundations and international organizations in New' York City and Washington, D.C., were also integrated into the program and were highly assessed by the participants.
Follow-Up Programs
｡?oint Research/Exchange (JREX) Program
The JREX Program supports joint research and collaborative exchange activities primarily for graduate students from SYLFF-endowed institutions. In the year under review, 64 applications were examined by the JREX Selection Committee, which recommended 26 projects from 13 universities in eight countries for awards.
After reviewing the 37 projects selected in the previous year, the Committee did not recommend a project for the Award of Excellence. However, the Committee recognized the results of two team projects led by students from Sofia University (Bulgaria) and the University of Nairobi (Kenya), and published these teams' final papers as noted below.
