Special lecture given by Deputy Director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Japan OfficeHachioji Campus

On Friday, June 21, 2024, Teikyo University Faculty of Economics Department of International Economy Senior Assistant Professor welcomed Ms. Nami Asaka, Deputy Permanent Representative (Legal Affairs) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Japan, to Senior Assistant Professor for a special lecture on the refugee situation in the world and Japan.
Thursday, June 20, the day before the special lecture, was designated as World Refugee Day to raise global awareness of the protection and support for refugees and to deepen understanding and support for the activities of UN agencies, including UNHCR, NGOs, and other actors. In his lecture, Mr. Asaka explained that the number of refugees and other forcibly displaced people in the world has exceeded 120 million, which is equivalent to the population of Japan, and that the number continues to increase. UNHCR is contributing to the realization of a world where "no one is left behind" as stated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its refugee protection and assistance activities, and the status of refugee reception in Japan. Students who listened to the lecture commented, "I learned that refugees are not only suffering, but also doing what they can do to help others," "There are many refugees who are realizing what they want to do, and I thought it is not good to make decisions based only on imagination," "I was born in blessed Japan, and now I want to do my best," etc. I thought that I should not make decisions based only on my imagination," and "I was able to think that I will do my best because I was born in Japan, a blessed country.
The University will participate in the Refugee Higher Education Program (RHEP) run by the UNHCR Representation in Japan and the United Nations Association for UNHCR from 2019, and currently two students, a Syrian refugee and an Afghan refugee, are studying at the University. The University will continue to promote efforts to achieve the SDGs.

For more information on Teikyo University's efforts toward the SDGs, click here
Click here for Senior Assistant Professor Hiroaki Ito's activity report
For more information about Faculty of Economics Department of International Economy, please click here

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