Japan’s oldest modern university established India Japan Center

Established in 1858 by Yukichi Fukuzawa as a small school of Western learning, Keio University (https://www.keio. ac.jp/en/) has a history as Japan’s very first private institution of higher learning. The symbol of the university is an iconic Pen Mark, which has been used from year 1900. Over 165 years since its founding, Keio has thrived under its founder’s motto of jitsugaku, or empirical science, as it continues to transform Japan as a modern nation through contributions to education, research, and medicine. Jitsugaku is a way of learning about the world pursued by Keio University’s founder Yukichi Fukuzawa through the application of reason, observation, and verifi cation, and it stemmed from his desire to break free of the Confucian ideals that informed scholarship in 19th-century Japan. Jitsugaku is science in the truest sense of the word and a powerful tool in Keio University’s never-ending search for practical solutions to real-life problems.

Spread in six campuses in and around Tokyo, the university hosts more than 33,500 students from 85 countries and region in 10 undergraduate faculties and 14 graduate schools. It has 13 dormitories, and 24 billion JPY in scholarship funds. Keio University offers international education, through 970+ classes and 21 degree programs in English. There are English only 4 years undergraduate programs called GIGA (https://giga. sfc.keio.ac.jp) and PEARL (https://www. econ.keio.ac.jp/en/undergraduate/pearl).

Over 2,100 students from overseas countries study in Keio University. The university is also known for its excellent alumni network (Mita-kai). With over 400,000 graduates, there are around 800 Mita Kai in Japan, and 75 abroad.

Keio University leverages its strengths as a comprehensive university to promote multidisciplinary research under the three initiatives of Longevity, Security, and Creativity. The university is also cultivating individuals equipped with international mindsets and making contributions to solve both domestic and global challenges through international joint research under these three initiatives while developing various educational programs.

In 2019, the university established its fi rst India Japan Laboratory (known in short as IJL: www.indiajapanlab.org) in the Shonan Fujisawa Campus. In pursuance to expand the horizons of Japan-India relations, it is essential to maximise the interactions of human resource especially of the young generation of both nations and to attain this the institutional corporation may play a signifi cant role.

Keeping this in mind, the objective of the laboratory is to undertake cutting edge bilateral / multilateral research on different topics, enhance higher educational collaboration and partnership, and facilitate exchange of intellectual capital. The IJL collectively addresses, analyzes, learns and nurtures the issues related to India and Japan and beyond, and makes it more relevant to the global communities.

IJL has three pillars: 1) development, disaster, climate change, 2) technologies, and 3) culture (yoga, music etc.). IJL co-organises India Japan Science Technology Innovation Forum, organises student / faculty exchanges with different India universities (IITs, IIMs, IISc, JNU etc. to name a few), start-up and social innovation hackathon etc. IJL introduced fi rst one semester two credit course on technology, development and culture of India, popularly known as “India Class”. Around 180 students from different disciplines attend the class and broaden their understanding and perspective on India.

IJL also published policy documents and action research outputs, working closely with the Indian institutes like IIT Guwahati, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Health Mission (NHM), National Maritime Foundation (NMF). IJL also collaborates with SMEs (Small medium enterprises) as well as major corporate sectors in Japan and India to enhance innovation and human resource development IJL is committed to foster closer cooperation between India and Japan through youth exchange, youth engagement and youth innovation. We look forward to your future cooperation, collaboration and suggestions.