International Seminar Celebrating the 580th Anniversary of the Birth of ‘Ali-Shir Nava’i, Co-hosted with Relevant Organizations of Uzbekistan
January 26, 2021
On Tuesday, January 19, 2021, the faculty and students of Central Asian Studies at TUFS, the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Japan, and the Alisher Navo'i Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature jointly organized an international research seminar to commemorate the 580th anniversary of the birth of the renowned Turkic writer ‘Ali-Shir Nava’i (Alisher Navoiy) (1441-1501). The seminar, which began with opening remarks by First Secretary Mr. Siroj Azizov of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Japan, was conducted in both Uzbek and Japanese between Tokyo and Tashkent.
Two young researchers from the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature, a TUFS partner institution, were invited to present their research (Mr. Umedullo Mahmudov and Mr. Shahzodbek Ruzmetov, a student of Uzbek literature). It was a valuable opportunity for the participants to learn about the latest research results on the epistolary form used in Nava'i's literary creation and popular rhyming works classified as narrative poetry. In addition, two TUFS students who have studied in Uzbekistan, Arai Minami (4th year, School of International and Area Studies) and Nakai Yuka (4th year, School of Language and Culture Studies), successfully demonstrated the results of their daily studies by reciting in Uzbek Nava'i's lyrical poems, known for their technicality and difficulty.
At the end of the seminar, Lecturer Shimada Shizuo (Institute of Global Studies) and Professor Zaynobidin Abdirashidov, Vice-rector for Scientific Affairs at the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature, gave concluding remarks. In their comments, they confirmed the significance of successfully holding the seminar amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and agreed to further strengthen academic and cultural exchange and cooperation between the two universities and between the two countries in the future.
The seminar was a great success, drawing more than 40 participants (primarily students of TUFS).
