MEXT Student Orientation Program 2019

Like in the past years, EOJ organized the MEXT student orientation program on 6^th September, 2019 at the EOJ hall in Panipokhari. The program aimed to orient the students selected under MEXT program on Japanese culture, university, life, and other aspects that a new student should be aware of while being in Japan. Following five students who are joining Japanese universities in October 2019 session joined the event.

The program started with introduction of MEXT students and followed by a welcome address by JUAAN president (Dr. Prem Paudel), address by the first secretary for information and culture at EOJ (Dr. Yuriko Akiyama) and interactions. During the interaction program, the new students shared that technology, similar geographical context, and research-focus at the universities were the key reasons for selecting Japan for higher studies. From JUAAN, Mr. Harendra B. Barua (Senior most member of JUAAN), Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal (Executive Member), Dr. Isha Dhungana (Secretary), and Dr. Vishnu Prasad Pandey (General Secretary) shared their experiences on university life, culture and environment, behaviour/manner/etiquettes, hostel life, food/hygiene and others. JUAAN executives answered various queries raised by the MEXT students.

Courtesy Call to His Excellency Ambassador

The newly elected 12th Executive Committee of JUAAN paid a courtesy call to His Excellency (HE) Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Mr Masamichi Saigo at the Embassy of Japan (EOJ) on 27th August, 2019.The JUAAN team was led by the President Dr. Prem Prasad Paudel. It was an opportunity to introduce members of 12th Executive Committee, share JUAAN’s planned activities, and reiterate JUAAN’s interest to work closely with the EOJ. The newly elected president, Dr. Prem Prasad Poudel, thanked HE and EOJ for the support extended so far to JUAAN and expressed JUAAN’s confident that it would continue smoothly in coming years as well.

Like always, HE Ambassador acknowledged the role that JUAAN is playing as a platform to promote bilateral relations between Nepal and Japan, and appreciated highly the contribution of JUAAN members in this endeavour. His Excellency congratulated the newly elected Executive Committee, expressed his confident that JUAAN will continue to perform as a valuable platform for promoting friendly relationship between two countries. His Excellency further expressed his commitments for full support to JUAAN in whatever ways possible. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Yuriko Akiyama, the first secretary, Information and Culture, EOJ. The meeting started at 2:30 PM lasted for half an hour, and was followed by a group photo.

Benkyokai and Handover Program Concluded

JUAAN organized a Benkyokai and handover program on 18th August, 2019 at Hotel Royal Singi, Kamaladi. It was combined with handover program to the newly elected 12th Executive Committee. Fifty JUAAN members joined the program. The program was organized in two sessions. In the first session, two eminent professors delivered lecture on the topics of human development and food habit. Prof. Dr. Nirmala Uprety, a Professor of Early Childhood Education at Padmakanya Campus, Tribhuvan University and retired recently after serving for 40 years in the university, delivered a lecture on “human development”. Her presentation focused on how human habits change along with physical changes in body across different stages of life, and how one can deal with that in better way. The second presentation on “food habit” by Prof. Dr. Manasha Thapa Thakurathi, shed light on how our food habits are changing over the years and highlighted some strategies for living healthy life. There was lively discussion after both presentations. The first part of the program was concluded along with releasing of JUAAN’s new publication “JUAAN Mirror”, which is expected to be a biennial publication of JUAAN in the years to come.

The second part of the program was focused on handover of JUAAN office to the newly elected 12th Executive Committee. In this part, Dr. Madhav Pokhrel, the head of election committee, introduced all newly elected Executive Members and felicitated with khada. It was followed by handover of the documents by President, General Secretary and Treasurer from the outgoing committee to the newly elected committee. After the completion of handover, outgoing president as well as incoming president delivered their remarks. Finally, the incoming president invited all the valuable members of JUAAN family for dinner.

46 Annual Program of JUAAN

The 46th Annual Program and Kangei Kai was organized on 29th March 2019 at Royal Singhe Hotel.  HE Ambassador Masamichi Saigo attended as Chief Guest of the Program. Dignitaries from Embassy of Japan, members of JUAAN from different walks of life were present at the program. 

New returnees from Japan were welcomed as new members of JUAAN including returnees from JDS program. Renowed national artist of Nepal Mr. Lok Chitrakar made a presentation on Traditional Art of Nepal and Japan. The event helped strenthen solidarity among all new and old members of JUAAN. 

COMMUNITY WORK AND CLASSROOM

On April 25, 2015 a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.8 Richter scale hit central Nepal, which was followed by a series of strong aftershocks. This resulted a devastating impact in many of the infrastructures of the country. One such most affected area has been the education, the school buildings in particular. UNICEF estimated the destruction of 24,000 classrooms of schools affecting 950,000 children going to school. In response to the quake aftermath on the education sector, Japan Universities Alumni Association, Nepal (JUAAN) took an initiative of mobilizing support fund and university graduate students to help build temporary class rooms (TCR) to resume the academic calendar. In the first phase of work, four districts are considered: Gorkha, Dhading, Kavre and Lalitpur, which is being generously supported by Japan-Nepal Society.

The project in Dhading and Gorkha districts have already been completed. The team comprising JUAAN members and graduate students of Tribhuvan University Central Department of Environmental Science (TU-CDES) built 13 TCR in Gorkha (10 in Saraswati Higher Secondary School and three in Bhimsen Primary School). In Dhading, seven TCR were built for Minduka Secondary School and nine for Nalang Secondary School. These TCR benefited over 1450 school children. For class room construction, 86 bundles of CGI sheets, wire, nails, etc. were supplied and cost of skilled laborer were provided by JNS-JUAAN. The volunteers also conducted environmental education activities, which included earth education, water purification techniques, sanitation programs and personal hygiene. The project also distributed over 400 packets of baby food, clothes, playing materials for the school children.

The TCR construction project in Kavre, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur is in progress.