On February 28, 2026, the Kick-off Party of the Kobe University Alumni Association in Poland was held at the restaurant Uwaga Piwo in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. A total of 15 participants, including alumni and university representatives, gathered to celebrate the launch of the association.
Kobe University first began accepting students from Poland in 1991, when a doctoral student was enrolled in the Graduate School of Economics. Since then, the university has welcomed mainly Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship students through the Graduate School of Humanities and the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies. With the expansion of Kobe University’s partner institutions, the number of exchange students from major Polish universities—such as the University of Warsaw and Jagiellonian University—has increased significantly since 2010. As of September 2025, the total number of graduates from Poland who have completed their studies at Kobe University has reached 102.
The kick-off meeting opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Naruo Kawai, Director of the Global Education Center at Kobe University. This was followed by a toast given by Professor Tomasz Olejniczak of Kozminski University, who played a central role in establishing the alumni association. Professor Olejniczak studied at Kobe University as a participant in the Japanese Studies Program at the International Student Center (as it was then known), completing the program in 2007. Participants traveled not only from Warsaw but also from distant cities such as Kraków and Gdańsk. While reflecting on their time studying at Kobe University, they shared memories of Kobe, discussed the significance of their academic experiences in shaping their subsequent careers, and exchanged views on their expectations for the future of the alumni association.
During the meeting, officers of the association were elected. Professor Olejniczak was nominated as the first President of the Kobe University Alumni Association in Poland and was unanimously approved by all attendees. In addition, four board members volunteered and were formally endorsed by applause. Although unable to attend the meeting in person, Associate Professor Agata Wierzbowska of Kobe University and Associate Professor Marcelina Leśniczak of Nicolaus Copernicus University agreed to serve as domestic representatives in Poland.
Following the elections, the Alumni Declaration was read aloud in both Japanese and English, after which Professor Kawai presented the alumni association flag to President Olejniczak.
Congratulatory remarks were also delivered by Professor Jong-Woo Park of the Global Education Center, who was involved in the establishment of the association. He noted that Kobe University’s alumni network currently spans 15 countries worldwide and expressed high expectations that the Polish alumni association would strengthen ties with the university, support the professional activities of its members, contribute to the development of the association, and further promote international exchange at Kobe University. The event concluded in a warm and friendly atmosphere with all participants singing the Kobe University anthem together.
Kobe University’s European alumni activities began in 2012 with the establishment of an alumni association in Brussels, Belgium. Since then, activities have mainly been organized on a city-by-city basis, including in London and Düsseldorf. The establishment of the Polish alumni association aims to revitalize alumni activities across Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe. Poland is home to many graduates active in academic fields, including researchers and former MEXT scholars, and student exchange between Poland and Kobe University continues today. As such, the further development of alumni activities in Poland is highly anticipated. In addition, given Poland’s strong ties with Kobe City and Hyogo Prefecture, the association is expected to become an important hub for academic and regional exchange.
The Kobe University Alumni Association in Poland was established as the first independent Kobe University alumni association in Europe, particularly in the Eastern European region. Building on a gathering of Polish alumni held in 2014, preparations progressed through the strong enthusiasm of alumni and ongoing interaction with Kobe University faculty members. As a result, the association has now officially launched as Kobe University’s 16th overseas alumni association. It is expected to contribute to the further advancement of academic and educational exchange between Japan and Poland.
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（Global Education Center）