公開日 2026年10月02日
President Otani visited São Paulo, Brazil, from August 29 to September 1, 2026, to attend the 70th Anniversary Ceremony of the Shimane Association of Brazil and the First International Symposium on Japanese and Japanese-Brazilian Studies, held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Graduate Program in Japanese Language, Literature and Culture at University of São Paulo.
On August 30, President Otani attended the 70th Anniversary Ceremony and Reception of the Shimane Association of Brazil. During the event, he expressed his appreciation to those who have contributed to the long-standing friendship between Shimane Prefecture and Brazil and shared his hope for even closer ties in the future.
On August 31, he attended the First International Symposium on Japanese and Japanese-Brazilian Studies. In his opening remarks, he congratulated the Graduate Program in Japanese Language, Literature and Culture on its 30th anniversary and highlighted the history of academic exchange between Shimane University and University of São Paulo. He also expressed his hopes for further cooperation between the two universities.
During the symposium, President Otani introduced the Double Degree Program established on July 14, 2026, between the Graduate Program in Japanese Language, Literature and Culture in University of São Paulo and the Division of Social Development and Innovation in the Graduate School of Human and Social Sciences in Shimane University. The program enables students from Japan and Brazil to study at both universities and work toward degrees while gaining international experience and advanced academic knowledge.
Following the symposium, President Otani visited the Faculty of Philosophy, Literature and Human Sciences at University of São Paulo and met with Dean Adrián Pablo Fanjul and other faculty members to discuss the future development of the Double Degree Program. Dean Fanjul stressed the importance of ensuring that the agreement leads to concrete achievements and expressed great expectations for the program's future growth, noting that it will be the first double degree program of its kind for a Japanese university. President Otani explained that the program was created to support higher education opportunities and human resource development for young people with Brazilian roots, reflecting the strong ties between Shimane Prefecture and Brazil. Both universities reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in student exchange, language education, human resource development, and research collaboration through the Double Degree Program.
Through this visit, Shimane University further strengthened its academic and personal ties with Brazil. Shimane University will continue to promote the internationalization of education and research while fostering individuals who can connect local communities with the wider world.
Scenes from the Symposium（Photo: Juliana Morais / FFLCH USP Social Communication Service）
Meeting with Dean Adrián Pablo Fanjul（Photo: Gabriela César / FFLCH USP Social Communication Service）
