Middle East and Islam Program
Event Report: Japan-Iran Online Student Exchange Program
January 18, 2022
The Middle East and Islam Program Department (*1) held the Japan-Iran Online Student Exchange Program on December 21 and 22, 2021, in cooperation with the School of International Relations (SIR), an institute attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, and Tokai University.
SIR and Tokai University took turns to host the two-day sessions; the session on the first day was hosted by SIR and the second day by Tokai University. During the sessions, the students gave presentations and exchanged opinions concerning four themes, namely geopolitics, governance, economics, and society & culture. There were 10 participants from SIR and a total of 15 participants from Tokai University.
December 21 Iran Day
SIR hosted the session this day and the students from SIR gave presentations on the following themes. The presentation was followed by an exchange of opinions with the participants from Tokai University.
- Geopolitical Advantages and Economic Capacities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the North-South Corridor (Geopolitics)
- Principles of governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of foreign policy (Governance)
- Political Economy of Energy Efficiency and Iran's Participation in Collective Actions on Greenhouse Gases Reduction (Economics)
- Reflection of the art of architecture in Iranian Society (Society & Culture)
The whole presentation was organized in a way that the audience could understand the current situation of Iran, especially their diplomacy and international relations, and the students of Tokai University listened attentively to their presentations. After the presentations, questions concerning the environmental issues were raised and the students had discussions on the topic.
As the day happened to be a day before the winter solstice (“Shabe yarda” in Persian), there was an explanation about the meaning of “Shabe yarda” in Iranian culture and how people spend the day in Iran.
December 22 Japan Day
The second day was hosted by Tokai University and the students gave the following presentations. After the presentations, the participants moved on to the exchanges of opinions with the SIR students.
- Relative Poverty in Japan (Economy)
- Arguments for and against euthanasia (Society & Culture)
- Why Japan Does Not Sign the TPNW (Governance)
- A perfect storm: COVID-19, geopolitics and the global semiconductor crisis (Geopolitics)
SIR and Tokai University took turns to host the two-day sessions; the session on the first day was hosted by SIR and the second day by Tokai University. During the sessions, the students gave presentations and exchanged opinions concerning four themes, namely geopolitics, governance, economics, and society & culture. There were 10 participants from SIR and a total of 15 participants from Tokai University.
December 21 Iran Day
SIR hosted the session this day and the students from SIR gave presentations on the following themes. The presentation was followed by an exchange of opinions with the participants from Tokai University.
- Geopolitical Advantages and Economic Capacities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the North-South Corridor (Geopolitics)
- Principles of governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of foreign policy (Governance)
- Political Economy of Energy Efficiency and Iran's Participation in Collective Actions on Greenhouse Gases Reduction (Economics)
- Reflection of the art of architecture in Iranian Society (Society & Culture)
The whole presentation was organized in a way that the audience could understand the current situation of Iran, especially their diplomacy and international relations, and the students of Tokai University listened attentively to their presentations. After the presentations, questions concerning the environmental issues were raised and the students had discussions on the topic.
As the day happened to be a day before the winter solstice (“Shabe yarda” in Persian), there was an explanation about the meaning of “Shabe yarda” in Iranian culture and how people spend the day in Iran.
December 22 Japan Day
The second day was hosted by Tokai University and the students gave the following presentations. After the presentations, the participants moved on to the exchanges of opinions with the SIR students.
- Relative Poverty in Japan (Economy)
- Arguments for and against euthanasia (Society & Culture)
- Why Japan Does Not Sign the TPNW (Governance)
- A perfect storm: COVID-19, geopolitics and the global semiconductor crisis (Geopolitics)
Due to a five and half hour time difference between Japan and Iran, along with the lectures and seminars already scheduled at each school, it was not easy to hold these half-day online programs, Iran day and Japan day, for two consecutive days. The tremendous efforts made by both SIR and Tokai University, including adjusting their lunch time and participating in the program with seminar groups, made it possible to hold this event. The students with different academic backgrounds gave excellent presentations, which included objective facts and their own diverse views. We would like to thank the instructors at both institutes for their guidance to prepare their students for the presentations. The participants have surely learned a lot about the issues of each country through the two-day presentations and discussions.
Through activities like these, our group aims to promote exchanges between young people in Japan and Iran.
*1 The department has changed its name to the Asia and Middle East Program as of January 2022.
Through activities like these, our group aims to promote exchanges between young people in Japan and Iran.
*1 The department has changed its name to the Asia and Middle East Program as of January 2022.
Presentation on Iran Day
Exchange of opinions on Japan Day
Participants from both sides
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