On 21 March 2016 the Jagiellonian University was visited by the Japanese Ambassador to Poland Shigeo Matsutomi. He was accompanied by his wife Kaori Matsutomi and the Embassy Counsellor Megumi Osugi.
The visit started with a tour of the historic building of Collegium Maius, after which the delegation was received in Collegium Novum building by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University Prof. Wojciech Nowak. The meeting also featured head of the JU Department of Japanese and Chinese Studies Prof. Romuald Huszcza. The talks focused on higher education systems in Poland and Japan and the challenges faced by universities in both countries in the context of the role of innovation in modern academic institutions. Other issues under discussion included international student exchange and the growing interest in Japanese language and culture among young people in Poland.
Shigeo Matsutomi was born in 1955. He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1978 and since then has held a number diplomatic positions, including the First Secretary at Japanese embassies in Pakistan and the USA, the Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan to Turkey and the Ambassador of Japan to Israel, as well a number of important positions within the ministry. In January 2016 Mr Matsutomi was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Poland.
