Kobe University

Workshop on cultural memory and cultural transfer held in Brussels

November 22, 2018

In September 2017 Kobe University concluded an academic exchange agreement with Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) in Georgia. This enabled us to bring together TSU and other universities in Europe that are already involved in active exchange with Kobe University. With the aim of identifying potential opportunities for joint research in the humanities and social sciences, on October 25 and 26 a workshop was held at the Kobe University Brussels European Centre (KUBEC) on the theme of “Japan – Georgia – Western Europe: Cultural Memory and Cultural Transfer”. This topic focused on the strategic location of Georgia as a key location for cultural exchange between the Occident and the Orient.

The workshop was attended by four professors from Kobe University, including Professor Hiroko Masumoto (Graduate School of Humanities). From Georgia, five academics and government representatives for education, science, culture and foreign affairs attended, including Professor Alexander Kartozia. From the EU region three researchers attended including Andreas Regelsberger from Trier University.

With cultural memory as the key phrase, the workshop participants each presented their research on topics related to cultural contact based on movement of people and things, “memory space”, and the relationship between state formation and language, culture and the arts. Following active discussions, the participants also discussed plans for joint research and initiatives between Kobe University, TSU and other European universities, and various concrete suggestions were put forth.

Kobe University is the first university in Japan to conclude an academic exchange agreement with a university in Georgia, and there are high expectations for this partnership from Georgian higher education representatives as well as the Embassy of Japan in Georgia. By including TSU in our close network of European partner institutions, we hope to increase our active joint research with overseas institutions, and we will continue to use the Brussels Office for this purpose.

(Graduate School of Humanities)