Hachioji CampusTeikyo University Students Engage with Real-World Refugee Challenges Through UNHCR Guest Lecture

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, Teikyo University Hachioji Campus welcomed Mr. Koichi Kudo, Senior Liaison Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Japan, to Senior Assistant Professor for a special class on refugee issues and refugee assistance in International Cooperation II taught by Jun Nishioka of our university Faculty of Language Studies Department of Global Japanese Studies Professor.

In International Cooperation Theory II, students study various fields about the structure and current state of international cooperation centered on the United Nations. This class provides an opportunity Senior Assistant Professor external experts and practitioners to talk about what kind of activities are carried out in the field of international cooperation, based on their own experiences. The feature is that there is

Although the number of refugees in the world, which represents all forced displacement including internally displaced persons, is over 100 million, and solving them is one of the most urgent issues for the international community, the refugee problem is becoming more and more serious. I'm on my way.
Mr. Kudo explained in detail his experience supporting refugees in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and other countries, and talked about how he braved various difficulties to improve the living conditions of local refugees and promote coexistence between different communities. Many students were deeply impressed by Mr. Kudo's ingenuity and passion. In addition, the majority of students, who had previously thought that the refugee issue had nothing to do with them, said, ``After listening to Mr. Kudo's lecture, I was able to imagine the suffering of refugee people who are exposed to a harsh fate.'' ” and ``I wanted to do whatever little I could to help the refugees.''

Our university participates in the Refugee Higher Education Program (RHEP) for refugees living in Japan in collaboration with the UNHCR Office in Japan and the United Nations Association for UNHCR, and two refugee students are currently studying at our university. Going forward, we will continue to actively highlight the efforts of the international community, including the SDGs, in educational settings and connect them to social contribution.

Click here for Teikyo University's SDGs initiatives
Click here for the special page Faculty of Language Studies Department of Global Japanese Studies Faculty of Foreign Studies

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