29 April 2025
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University 

On April 29, 2025, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University welcomed His Excellency Mr. Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, along with First Secretary Udjihara Takaaki and Counsellor for Culture and General Affairs of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine Denys Hordiienko. Grinchenko University was represented at the meeting with the distinguished guests by Acting Rector Oleksandr Turuntsev, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, Head of the University Academic Council Nataliia Vinnikova, Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Languages Ivan Semenist, Dean of the Faculty of Law and International Relations Mykola Kulinich and Head of the Department of Japanese Language and Translation Kostiantyn Komisarov.

His Excellency Mr. Masashi Nakagome and representatives of the Embassy visited Viktor Ogneviuk Art Gallery, the Memorial Wall, honoring Grinchenko University members fallen in the Russian-Ukrainian war, the educational and production television journalism studio “Astudio”, a photo exhibition of children’s letters from Japan at the Faculty of Oriental Languages and got acquainted with the University’s material and technical infrastructure. During the visit, the distinguished guests also attended a Japanese language class for first-year students of the Language and Literature (Japanese) educational programme, which was held in Kyoto classroom of the Japanese Language and Culture Centre at the Faculty of Oriental Languages.

An important part of the visit of the honored guests to Grinchenko University was the meeting of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine in the hall of the Academic Council named after Viktor Ogneviuk with  students and lecturers of the Faculty of Oriental Languages, the Faculty of Law and International Relations, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Faculty of Journalism. During the meeting, students had the opportunity to talk to His Excellency and ask questions. In honor of the esteemed guests, a musical piece by Toru Takemitsu, "Rain Tree Sketch", was performed by Stanislav Huminiuk, Associate Professor of the Department of Instrumental and Performing Arts at the Faculty of Musical Arts and Choreography. The meeting with the students ended with presenting gifts to the distinguished guests, prepared by students and lecturers of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design and followed by a collective photo with His Excellency Mr. Masashi Nakagome.

During the meeting between the head of the Japanese diplomatic mission and the University administration, Acting Rector Oleksandr Turuntsev emphasized that Grinchenko University is one of Ukraine’s leaders in Japanese studies. Currently, 160 students are studying the Japanese language at the University, which is the only higher education institution in Ukraine that awards the professional qualification of “teacher of Japanese language.” The University pays great attention to the development of academic mobility of its students in the Land of the Rising Sun, and as of April 2025, almost 20 students are currently undergoing internships at seven Japanese universities. Furthermore, Oleksandr Turuntsev informed the Embassy representatives that starting from September 2025, Grinchenko University and Japan University of Economics (Fukuoka) will launch a dual degree program. Due to this initiative, students will not only undertake internships at the Japanese university but also have the opportunity to obtain a Japanese diploma.

Given that the Japanese government pays special attention to the medical rehabilitation of war victims and training programmes for Ukrainian specialists in the areas of medical rehabilitation, physical therapy and psychosocial assistance, an important part of the visit of the honored guests to the University was the acquaintance of representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine with the social initiatives of the University. In particular, the successful experience of supporting veterans and servicemen on the basis of the University in terms of physical rehabilitation of war veterans at the university sports complex; rehabilitation after concussions, assistance in restoring speech functions in the military who suffered injuries; and legal assistance to veterans provided by the legal clinic “Astrea”. Additionally, Acting Rector Oleksandr Turuntsev and Head of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of the Faculty of Health, Physical Education and Sports Valentyn Savchenko shared their plans to establish a training centre for therapy and rehabilitation at the University, which will ensure the training of qualified specialists in therapy and rehabilitation.

Materials provided by SRL of Internationalization of Higher Education