Centre for Contemporary African Area Studies Opens

May 12, 2017

On 1 st April 2017, TUFS established the Centre for Contemporary African Area Studies, for which an opening ceremony was held on Thursday 11 th May 2017. Aside from the centre's staff members and students of African studies, the event was attended by ambassadors for 19 African countries visiting from their Embassies in Japan; representatives from domestic relations organisations; and researchers.
Following greetings from President Tateishi and Centre Director Takeuchi, Mr. Okada, Deputy Director-General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau; Mr. Koyama, Management Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Higher Education Bureau National University Corporation Support Division (Deputy Manager Koyama); His Excellency Mr. Joao Miguel Vahekeni, Ambassador for the Republic of Angola; and Shigeta Masayoshi, Director of Kyoto University Centre for African Area Studies each gave a congratulatory address at the ceremony.

To close the ceremony, following greetings from Mr. Shimada Shuhei, TUFS professor (now at Nagoya University), who assisted with the establishment of the centre, a plaque was presented to Centre Director Takeuchi by President Tateishi.

The centre will assemble the researchers of African studies at TUFS and will be the first in Japan to bear the name of 'Contemporary African Studies'. It was established in order to fulfil the strong need for a base for contemporary African studies.

As we enter the 21 st century, the importance of the politics and economics in Africa has at last come to be recognised. However, the framework for contemporary African studies in Japan is still weak, and there is a demand for its expansion from many various parts of society. It can be said that there is an urgent need for research into the increasing complexity of the contemporary African continent in the wake of globalisation and condensing the results in education and in civil society. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies is an institution with the credentials and human resources suitable for constructing such a research centre.


Group photo


The plaque that will be displayed at the centre


P resentation of the plaque from the President to the Centre's director


Greetings from President Tateishi


Greetings form Director Takeuchi


Congratulatory address from Mr. Okada, Deputy Director-General for MOFA Middle Eastern and African Affairs Burea


Greetings from MEXT Higher Education Bureau National University Corporation Support Division Management Advisor


Congratulatory address from His Excellency Mr. Joao Miguel Vahekeni


Congratulatory address from Mr. Shigeta, Director of Kyoto University Centre for African Area Studies


Ambassadors from 19 African countries attended


Associate Prof. Sakai Makiko as chairperson


Introduction of the attending centre staff members


reetings from Prof. Shimada of Nagoya University


A large attendance from students of African studies


Exchange between students and the ambassadors (left: Mr. Myoui, chairperson)


The scene at the gathering

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