New Delhi : The 3rd Annual Japan Education Fair 2013 held today at Hotel Lalit, New Delhi turned out to be a successful event with more than

1000 students attending the fair from schools, colleges, etc. Representatives from 20 Japan universities participated in the fair which was organized by Ritsumeikan India Office in collaboration with Japanese Embassy in India, The Japan Foundation, New Delhi and other related organizations as a part of Global 30 Project, an initiative of Japanese Government.

The fair was inaugurated by the Chief Guest H.E. Mr. Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India and Prof. Mrs. Kiran Walia, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Women   & Child Development, Social Welfare and Language, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.  Prof. Ashok K Chawla, Professor-in-charge, Ritsumaiken India Office gave the welcome speech and inrtoduced the chief guests. This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Studying in Japan past and now’ conducted by some of the renowned veterans such as Mrs. Bharati Asha Choudhry (Ex-member of The Rani of Jansi Regiment of Indian National Army & Graduate from Showa Women’s Univ.),students who studied in Japan and will be going to the country for higher education, etc.

While inaugurating the event, H.E. Mr. Takeshi YAGI, Ambassador of Japan to India, commented, “It is indeed a great pleasure to be here today and I take this opportunity to congratulate everyone for the success of Japan Education Fair 2013. In the recent years, Japan’s relationship with India has improved significantly especially in terms of economic welfare. We now need to take this effort one step ahead and enhance human relationships and education will play a major role. ”

H.E. Mr. Takeshi YAGI further added, “At present, about 500 Indian students are studying in Japan and we are hopeful that the number will increase in the coming few years. The most important thing for us is to create more awareness about the higher education in Japan and The Japan Education Fair 2013 is the best platform to do so.  We sincerely wish that the students and the young people who have attended the event today utilise it to the best and choose the most preferred university for a better and advanced education.”

Prof. Mrs. Kiran Walia, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Women   & Child Development, Social Welfare and Languages, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi commented, “I feel honoured to be a part of this event and would like to express my gratitude to the guests present here. This fair is an excellent opportunity to encourage higher education and the students must make full use of this event. Language is a huge barrier and it is important to learn foriegn languages for those who plan to study or stay abroad. Japan is a wonderful country with rich culture and we look forward to working with them for higher education.”

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Naoki Isihara, Executive Director, Ritsumeikan University said, “We are extremely delighted to see a large number of Indian students attending the Japan Education Fair 2013. Japan and India share some significant common traits as we are democratic countries, have a rich culture and belong to Asia.  This fair is important as it provides the ideal platform for the prospective students to analyse their ambitions, interact with different Japanese universities, inquire about the courses offered and make the best selection accordingly.”

The universities had displayed booth for counselling which was attended by all students. Along with that, the Embassy/Consulate of Japan also participated in the event and provided information on the Japanese Government Scholarships and other related matters.

The Japan Education Fair 2013 presented a good opportunity for those seeking higher education in Japan. The fair will also follow in Bangalore on September 07, 2013 which will be organized by another Global 30 office of the University of Tokyo.

Source : Sonal