The creation and nurturance of human resources with expertise in a given field and the commitment and skills to engage in activity that leads to sustainable development for the well-being of all humankind is a long-term endeavor. The Scholarship Division has renewed its efforts towards this end with individuals and institutions of different cultures and value systems.

　The Division's primary focus is on supporting fellowship programs for study at the graduate level in the social sciences, humanities, transportation, and maritime-related fields. 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 boundaries.

　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, 62 universities and consortia in 40 countries have received endowments of US$1 million each. Endowments are managed by each institution and the returns used to provide fellowships to graduate students, particularly those focusing on transdisciplinary, transnational subjects.

　During the fiscal year under review, the sixty-second endowment was presented to Waseda University (Japan). Consequently, the SYLFF network now embraces 80 universities. In an aim to further strengthen this network, the SYLFF Administrators' Professional Development Program has been implemented three times beginning in fiscal 1998-99-. 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 up to 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 1998-99, the Japanese University Faculty Overseas Lecture Program is one such Program that supports Japanese university professors in teaching 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. This initiative is expected to benefit students, including those from abroad studying at universities in Japan. 

The Scholarship Division supports fellowship, follow up, and professional development programs within the parameters of the social sciences, humanities, transportation, and maritime fields to contribute to the creation and enhancement of human resources.

The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) program aims to foster the development of leaders throughout the world by overseeing fellowship 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

New Endowments

Since the launch of the SYLFF program in 1987, 61 institutions of higher education in 40 countries have received endowments. During the fiscal year under review, the sixty-second endowment was presented to Waseda University in Japan. As a result, the network of SYLFF-endowed institutions has grown to 62 universities and consortia and a total of nearly 7,500 fellowship recipients.

　

Visits to Existing SYLFF-endowed Institutions

Scholarship Division staff met with SYLFF Fellows and conferred with steering committees at SYLFF-endowed institutions, including: University of California, San Diego (USA); University of Indonesia; Peking University (China); Jilin University (China); Inner Mongolia University (China); Xinjiang University (China); Chongqing University (China); Sofia University "St Kliment Ohridski" (Bulgaria) University of Leipzig (Germany); Columbia University (USA); Howard University (USA); Academy of Management (Mongolia); Korea University (Republic of Korea); University of New South Wales (Australian Graduate School of Management); University of Auckland (New Zealand); Massey University (New Zealand); Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand); University of Coimbra (Portugal); Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany); El Colegio de Mexico; University of Sao Paulo (Brazil); Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; and Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

　

SYLFF Administrators' Professional Development Program

SYLFF administrators from 14 universities in 11 countries participated in a professional development program convened in New York and Washington, D.C., (USA), from June 5 to 30, 2000. This intensive program combined English for professional purposes, lectures, and workshops on fellowship administration, as well as general concepts 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 assessed highly by the participants.

　

SYLFF Administrators' Meeting

A meeting of SYLFF administrators was convened in San Diego, California, from May 26 to June 1, 2000, in conjunction with the Fifty-Second Annual NAFSA Conference. Representatives from 56 universities and consortia exchanged views on administration of the endowment and the fellowship program, and discussed ways to promote cooperation and exchange within the SYLFF network. Participants agreed that the meeting had increased mutual understanding and helped build a foundation for cooperative activities. The meeting was important to the Foundation as a means of enhancing relationships with the SYLFF program representatives.

　

FOLLOW-UP PROGRAMS

Joint 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, 99 applications were reviewed by the JREX Selection Committee, which recommended 26 projects from 12 universities in six countries for awards.

　After reviewing the 26 projects selected in the previous year, the Committee selected a team led by a student from Princeton University (USA) for the Award of Excellence, a prize of US$10,000. The winning paper was published in the SYLFF Working Paper Series, along with a paper from one other team, led by a student from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). SYLFF Working Paper No. 15 included a video tape recording that was also duplicated and circulated.

　

Total awards for 26 JREX projects: US$130,000

Award of Excellence: US$10,000

Printing costs, SYLFF Working Papers No. 15 and No.16 (500 copies each): \758,320

Costs for copying video for SYLFF Working Paper No.15 (500 sets): \400,333

No. 15 The Social Impact of Solar Rural Electrification in Kenya and South Africa, (2000 JREX Award of Excellence), 2001 ; by Richard Duke, Princeton University (USA); and Jason Anderson, University of California at Berkeley (USA)

No.16 The Internet and Its Influence on Management, 2001; by Krystyna Golonka, Jagiellonian University; and Aneta Lipinska, Jagiellonian University (Poland)

　

Visit Japan Program

The Visit Japan Program is designed to provide SYLFF Fellows with opportunities to conduct research and exchange activities in Japan. In the year under review, awards were offered to six out of seven applicants.

　

Ken Schoellhammer

A master's degree candidate in international Relations at the Graduate Institute of International Studies at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Ken Schoellhammer visited the University of Tokyo, International Christian University, and Aoyama Gakuin University to interview and receive guidance from scholars to substantiate his master's degree dissertation: "Japan's Policy towards the United Nations in the 1990s: Analysis of the Speeches Made by Japanese Representatives within the World Organization." He also gathered materials and conducted research at the Japan Institute of International Affairs and the United Nations University

　

Johan Matthijs Havenaar

A graduated fellow working as a psychiatrist and faculty member at the Department of Psychiatry of Utrecht University Medical Centre (Netherlands), Johan Matthijs Havenaar visited the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Saitama Medical School, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, and Tokyo Metropolitan Bokuto General Hospital to gain a better understanding of Japanese mental health services and research on the mental health consequences of radiological accidents in Japan. He also gathered information by conducting interviews and collecting materials, and gave lectures at these institutions.

　

Ai Guo Xu

Enrolled in the doctoral program in law and a lecturer at the Law Department of Peking University, Ai Guo Xu visited the University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, Doshisha University, and Hokkaido University to conduct research and interviews, and to gather materials for the completion of his doctoral dissertation on treatises on tort law comparing the Chinese and Japanese systems.

　

Chrysoula Michailidou

A master's degree candidate in law of civil procedure at the University of Athens (Greece), Chrysoula Michailidou attended trials at the Tokyo District Court, Tokyo Summary Court, Chiba District Court, and Supreme Court, and participated in a seminar in civil procedure at Waseda University to further her research on the Japanese judicial system. Her visits also included the Legal Training and Research Institute and Tokyo Bar Association to interview and receive guidance on the practice of law from lawyers in Japan.

　

Xinsheng Wang

A doctoral degree candidate in history at Peking University (China), Xinsheng Wang visited the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, Niigata University, Senshu University, University of Tokyo, Chuo University, and Kyoto University to conduct research and interviews, and to gather materials for his doctoral dissertation: "The Development of the Postwar Japanese Political System: The Development and Change of the '1955 System' and Its Influence on the Japanese Economy. "

　

Bilal Erdem Denk

Bilal Erdem Denk received a SYLFF fellowship at Ankara University (Turkey) to pursue a master's degree. He is currently enrolled in the doctoral degree program at Cardiff Law School of Cardiff University (UK). During his stay in Japan, he conducted interviews and gathered material at the University of Tokyo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hokkaido University, and National Diet Library to further his research on the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands dispute between Japan and China. He also consulted Japanese academics specializing in international relations and international law to learn about the Japanese approach to dispute resolution with special emphasis on the Senkaku Islands.

　

In each case, award recipients went beyond their specific research purposes to gain a deeper understanding of Japan and to cultivate human networks.

　

Administrator and Faculty Exchange Program

This program provides awards for administrators and faculty members in the social sciences and humanities fields to engage in activity with the goal of promoting stronger ties between universities, notably student exchange. Administrators and faculty members of participating universities visit or host their colleagues at partner institutions in other countries. For administrators, the exchange may take the form of providing or receiving professional guidance and/or technical assistance. For faculty members, the exchange may take the form of lectures or consultations on developing curricula, instructional material, and exchange programs.

　In the year under review, the Scholarship Division received eight applications and selected five for awards. Three applicants who had applied and had been selected in the previous year also received awards during the year, so that the total number of recipients was eight. Five faculty members from Jagiellonian University (Poland), Chongqing University (China), Chiang Mai University (Thailand), University of Oregon (USA), and University of California at Berkeley (USA), all SYLFF-endowed institutions, visited participating institutions in foreign countries. Two faculty members at the University of Texas at Austin (USA) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel), also SYLFF-endowed institutions, visited each other to develop a joint course and symposium. In addition, a professor from Kobe University of Mercantile Marine (Japan) was hosted by the World Maritime University as a guest lecturer.

　In each case, award recipients not only fulfilled their initial objectives but also established and strengthened ties with their counterpart institutions to develop interinstitutional programs and activity.

　

Planning and Administration Promotion

The third meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC), comprising five international higher education specialists, was held on October 20, 2000. The IAC offered advice and guidance regarding the assessment and implementation of existing programs, and the Scholarship Division's mid-and long-term plans.

(NFFJLE)　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

ENDOWMENT ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS

The Nippon Foundation Fund for Japanese Language Education (NFFJLE) provides scholarships and fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Japanese-language education from the investment proceeds of endowment funds. Scholarship and fellowship recipients are selected by independent committees of the endowed institutions.

　The Scholarship Division administers the NFFJLE program in collaboration with The Nippon Foundation, which presents endowments (US$1.5 million) to selected universities. Since the inception of the program in 1994, endowments have been provided to eight institutions of higher education in six countries.

　

Visits to Existing NFFJLE-endowed Institutions

Scholarship Division staff met with scholarship/fellowship recipients and conferred with steering/management committees at NFFJLE-endowed institutions, including: Indonesian University of Education, Bucharest University (Rumania), Macquarie University (Australia), Griffith University (Australia), The University of Queensland (Australia) , Monash University (Australia) , and Massey University (New Zealand) .

　

NFFJLE Administrators' Conference

Fifteen administrators, from the eight endowed universities, were invited to Tokyo to participate in a conference at the Foundation on April 17-18,2000. This was the second administrators' conference, focusing on issues related to faculty development, curriculum and program development, student recruitment and follow-up, fellowship guidelines, and mid- and long-term planning.

　At the request of participants in the first conference, Professor Shoichi Watanabe of Sophia University, was invited as a guest speaker to share his views on Japanese-language education.

　In addition, the status of NFFJLE programs was reviewed during individual meetings with university representatives.

　

　

Under this program fellowships are provided to midcareer professionals from developing countries in the Asia-Pacific and other regions enrolled at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden, to foster expertise and leadership in maritime affairs.

　In the year under review, the Foundation presented a total of 48 fellowships (US$21,000 each), 25 to first-year students from 14 countries and 23 to second-year students from 16 countries. At graduation in October 2000, a reception was hosted by the Friends of WMU Japan in honor of fellowship recipients and to help build a strong network among fellowship recipients and with Japanese sponsors.

　

World Maritime University Fellows' Field Study in Japan

First-year fellowship recipients at the World Maritime University are invited to Japan each year to acquire knowledge and a deeper understanding of Japanese maritime affairs.

　During the fiscal year under review, 24 fellowship students visited Japan from September 17 to 24, 2000. They visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (formerly Ministry of Transport), Japan Coast Guard, Ship Research Institute, Electronic Navigation Research Institute, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha), Yokohama Container Terminal. Sumitomo Heavy Industries' Yokosuka Shipyard, Japan Marine Science and Technology Center(JAMSTEC),Mega-Float, Kobe Harbor, Marine Technical College, and Kobe University of Mercantile Marine. A special program was also organized at the Foundation on the topic, "Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection-Agenda in the Public and Private Sectors." Presentations by Akihiko lkeda, Director for International Regulations, Safety Standards Division, Maritime Technology and Safety Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Tomoyuki Koyama, Quality System Lead Auditor, Quality Assurance Team, Maritime Technical Group of the NYK Line, were followed by discussion. In addition to providing opportunities to become familiar with Japanese maritime affairs, the program helped participants build a maritime-related professional network.

　

　

Fellowships under this program target young Japanese regional government officials who are interested in reforming local government administration to meet the needs of a changing economy and society. The program aims to help local Japanese officials strengthen their international perspectives through the promotion of mutual understanding and information exchange regarding culture, traditions, and systems of a particular country by studying abroad. Launched in fiscal 1998-99, this program will continue for six years.

　During the fiscal year under review, fellowships were presented to the following four officials.

　

Leaving Japan in June 1999 and returning in June 2001

Fellowship Recipient:	Mirai Shibata, Ibaraki Prefectual Government (renewed)
Academic Program:	Master of Public Administration, Seattle University (USA)
Total Fellowship:	US$36,000
Fellowship Recipient:	Shinichi Baba, Fukuoka City Government (renewed)
Academic Program:	Master of Public Administration, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government. Portland State University (USA)
Total Fellowship:	US$35,000

　

Leaving Japan in July 2000 and returning in June 2002

Fellowship Recipient:	Yasutomo Nakagoshi, Fire and Disaster Management Agency
Academic Program:	Master of Arts, School of Politics, International Relations and the Environment, Keele University (UK)
Total Fellowship:	\4,200,000
Fellowship Recipient:	Mamoru Ushio. Hidaka Subprefectural Office, Hokkaido Government
Academic Program:	Master of Arts, Development Studies, Institute for Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds (UK)
Total Fellowship:	\3,600,000

These programs provide exchange and development opportunities for university faculty and administrators to promote the development of human resources with broad perspectives that transcend geopolitical, cultural, organizational, and other boundaries'

Initiated in 1998, this program enables Japanese university faculty members to teach overseas, and then to use their experiences to promote internationalization at their respective universities upon their return to Japan.

　In the year under review, the Scholarship Division provided five awards and conducted selection interviews for those applying to be sent overseas in fiscal years 2001-02 and 2002-03. Three of nine applicants for fiscal 2001-02 and three of five applicants for fiscal 2002-03 were selected.

　

FELLOWSHIP AWARDS

Fellowship Recipient:	Toshiya Hoshino (Associate Professor, Osaka University)
Discipline, Overseas Institution:	Politics, University of Wollongong (Australia)
Total Fellowship:	\1,500,000 (4 months)
Fellowship Recipient:	Kazufumi Manabe (Professor, Kwansei Gakuin University)
Discipline, Overseas Institution:	Sociology, University of Bonn (Germany)
Total Fellowship:	\2,000,000 (4 months)
Fellowship Recipient:	Shigeharu Tanabe (Professor, Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
Discipline, Overseas Institution:	Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University (Thailand)
Total Fellowship:	\5,622,700 (1 year)
Fellowship Recipient:	Masaharu Yanagihara (Professor, Kyushu University)
Discipline, Overseas Institution:	Law, Munich University (Germany)
Total Fellowship:	\6,000,000 (1 year)
Fellowship Recipient:	Fiala Karel (Professor, Fukui Prefectural University)
Discipline, Overseas Institution:	Linguistics, Charles University (Czech Republic)
Total Fellowship:	\1,923,200 (3 months)

　

Reports by Returned Recipients

On January 19,2000, a total of seven fellowship recipients from fiscal year 1998-99 to January 2001 were invited to the Foundation to give reports on how their experiences had contributed to the internationalization of their home institutions, and on further changes they expected in the near future. The returnees also provided advice on future implementation of the program. Their reports were useful in terms of program assessment.

Awards in the amount of\300,000 each were awarded to five international exchange personnel at Japanese universities. These awards allowed the recipients to attend the fifty-second annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, May 28 to June 2, 2000, in San Diego, California (USA). The participants also visited partner universities to discuss exchange agreements and to observe international education activity. The conferences and related activities were first-time opportunities for the majority of participants, and assessed highly.