Within the framework of development of international scientific and educational relations and improving the quality of professional training of students based on the use of advanced experience of leading foreign specialists, the course of lectures and seminars of Professor Hiroaki Ito from Senshu University (Japan) was held from September 4 to 15, 2017 at the Department of the Far East of the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

Professor Hiroaki Ito had devoted his lecture course to Japanese art history and some aspects of traditional culture of the Land of Rising Sun. The audience of the event was composed from the students of Undergraduate, Graduate and PhD courses as well as the Faculty members of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. Hiroaki Ito is a Professor of the Faculty of Letters at Senshu University (Japan). He has repeatedly acted as a plenary and guest lecturer at the universities of Italy, Great Britain. He is a fellowship of the JSPS / CNRS Funds and the author of several monographs devoted to the study of issues of philosophy, culture and literature.

The scientist has visited our university several times. His first visit to KazNU was  held on May 2014, when Professor Hiroaki Ito presented the University of Saitama at the III Forum of Asian Universities “Eurasian Diversity and the Role of Universities for Sustainable Development” in the framework of the VII Astana Economic Forum and the 80th anniversary of KazNU.

The professor's lecture was held in a relaxed atmosphere, with using video materials, thanks to which the audience could get acquainted  with vivid examples of art, architecture, painting, and traditional cuisine of Japan. Thus, a two-week “journey” into the world of Japanese culture and art, enabled participants to deepen their understanding of distinct and unique style of art and culture of Japanese people. Participants of the event had the opportunity to ask questions and receive detailed and clear answers to the issues of concern, and the listeners could freely exchange views on various topical issues of cultural and spiritual development of Japan.

In addition, a meeting with the leadership of the Faculty of Journalism took place within the framework of the visit of Professor Hiroaki Ito,  where the issues of cooperation and implementation of joint projects with the University of Senshu were discussed. On the same day, Professor held a guest lecture on “Japanese Media” on the example of NHK - national public broadcasting organization of Japan, for undergraduate students.  The lecture of the Faculty’s guest  was welcomed very warmly.

It should be noted that this visit was a good continuation of cooperation with universities of Japan and the traditions of inviting leading scientists to the Department of the Far East. For instance, one of the significant events of the new academic year was the visit of Professor Tonomura Masaru from Tokyo University  to the Department of the Far East, who also presented a course of interesting lectures on Japanese history and his visit served as a pledge for establishing cooperation with one of the most famous universities in Japan.

The Department of the Far East actively cooperates with many leading universities in Japan, such as Tokyo University, Saitama University, Tsukuba University, Waseda University, Hokkaido University, including international foundations like the Japan Foundation and the Nippon Foundation, which contributes to the professional preparation of students and strengthening of intercultural communication between Kazakhstan and Japan.

Department of the Far East