On May 26, the Jagiellonian University hosted a visit of a Japanese delegation led by Yōhei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, who was accompanied by the foundation’s Executive Directors Ichiro Kabasawa, Junpei Sasakawa, and Shota Nakayasu. The guests were received by the JU Vice-Rector for Educational affairs Prof. Armen Edigarian, Dean of the JU Faculty of International and Political Studies Prof. Paweł Laidler, as well as Michał Furman, Dorota Maciejowska and Adriana Hołub-Palonka.
The meeting, which took place in Larish House, was part of Yōhei Sasakawa’s visit to Poland, related to his foundation’s efforts to help Ukrainian refugees in our country. On May 25 the delegation visited the Polish-Ukrainian border in order to directly assess the situation and decide on the best possible forms of aid.
The discussion focused on the situation of refugees in Poland, the involvement of the Jagiellonian University in helping Ukrainian refugees staying in Kraków, including JU students and staff, and the possible forms of cooperation between the JU and the Nippon Foundation in this field. The Jagiellonian University also declared its readiness to support Japanese students who will come to Poland to help refugees from Ukraine. The first group of them is expected to arrive in Kraków as early as June 1, followed by another one in the second half of June. The University will facilitate the contact between the Japanese volunteers and the Ukrainian students, whereas students of the JU Faculty of International and Political Studies will provide the volunteers with organisational assistance throughout their stay in Poland.
The meeting participants also talked about this year’s 30th anniversary of SYLFF (The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund) programme at the Jagiellonian University. Due to the war in Ukraine the planned jubilee celebrations were postponed until next year.
