World Refugee Day (June 20th) and our university’s efforts

June 20th is World Refugee Day as designated by the United Nations, and the theme for 2022 is “Seeking safety is a human right”.
Living in Japan, refugees may seem a distant presence. However, there are refugees not only in Ukraine, but also in Syria, Afghanistan, and other countries around the world.
Why don’t you use World Refugee Day as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of refugee support?

What is World Refugee Day?

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

• United Nations　World Refugee Day
• UNHCR　World Refugee Day
• UNHCR for Japan　世界難民の日

Initiatives at Hosei University

Hosei University has organized various events and projects to deepen understanding of refugee support.
Hosei University also plans to continue its efforts to “contribute to solving the problems of world” as stated in the Hosei University Charter.

Support for Evacuated Ukrainian Students

In view of the current crisis in Ukraine, Hosei University provides opportunities in Japan as humanitarian aid to Ukrainian students who have fled the military invasion of their country and who wish to continue their studies in Japan. Hosei University accepts four Ukrainian students from the Fall semester of the 2022 academic year, and provides financial support for tuition, housing, living, and travel expenses, as well as opportunities to take Japanese language courses and various specialized courses as non-degree seeking students (visiting international students).
For more details, please click here.

 As the Russian military invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing, we believe that it is necessary to continue to support the evacuees in Japan for a long period of time until life in Ukraine is rebuilt. We also hope that the Ukrainian students will be able to contribute to the development of Ukraine and the exchange between Japan and Ukraine through the knowledge they gain at Hosei university.
 For this reason, we are conducting a fundraising campaign to support the education and life of Ukrainian students.
For more details, please click here.

 World Refugee Day Special Display @Ichigaya Library

From Monday, June 19 to Friday, June 30, 2023, books related to refugees will be exhibited on the 1st floor of the Ichigaya Library. Please take the opportunity of “World Refugee Day” to think deeply about refugee issues.

Hosei Global Day

Hosei Global Day 2022  featured a lecture by Ms. Mariko Kinai, Executive Director of World Vision Japan (WVJ), a non-profit organization that supports children in difficult circumstances around the world, including those of refugees. She spoke about the problems faced by children around the world and the support they receive, as well as about her career. It was a wonderful opportunity to think about what poverty is, what we can do now, and our future careers.

After the lecture, the students organized workshops based on five themes: “International Issues,” “SDGs,” “International Students,” “Language,” and “Representational Culture. It was a time for each participating student to confront issues for the future, such as cross-cultural understanding, international exchange, and language barriers.

UNHCR WILL2LIVE Cinema (UNHCR Refugee Film Festival) Partners: On-campus film screening

In order to understand the situation of refugees in the world and their support, Hosei University held a film screening and related events on campus as UNHCR WILL2LIVE Cinema (UNHCR Refugee Film Festival) Partners.

• 2019
  Hosei University held the screening of “I Am Rohingya” on Friday, November 29, 2019 at Sky Hall, Ichigaya Campus. It was planned and organized by 15 student members of the UNHCR WILL2LIVE Cinema Partners Film Festival Executive Committee.
  The guest speaker was Mr. Jotaro Kato, PhD student at Waseda University Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies and lecturer at the University of the Sacred Heart, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Department of Human Relations, who gave a lecture titled “Refugees in the World and in Japan Today” after the screening. He explained about the current situation of refugees in the world and in Japan, as well as the situation of accepting refugees in Japan.
  A total of 70 people attended the screening, and participants commented that “they became more interested in international issues after attending the event” and that “it gave them an opportunity to think about refugees as a familiar problem”.
• 2018
  On Thursday, November 29, 2018, Hosei University held the screening of “Sonita” at the Sky Hall on the Ichigaya Campus.
  After the screening, we invited Ms. Mariya Asaki (Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA), in charge of Afghanistan Project) as a guest speaker to give a lecture titled “The Situation of Refugees and Returnees in Afghanistan”, explaining the background and current situation of Afghan refugees in this film. She explained the background and current situation of the Afghan refugees in the film. Through the Q&A session, participants were able to deepen their understanding of the “causes of the refugee problem” and “difficulties in supporting refugees. A total of 60 people attended the screening, and participants commented that “they were able to learn about new issues, not only Afghan refugees but also returnees”, and that “they would like to be involved in supporting refugees”.