Miu Yamazaki
University of Tokyo / Faculty of Law
Excerpts from her experience at Harvard Summer School:
The lecture style was like a seminar, so class was mainly delivered by discussion among students. Even though the readings were mainly about politics, all students including high schoolers had so much knowledge and every class was stimulating and intense. I needed to be very active and express my own opinions without hesitation, which was completely different from the classes that I had been taking at the University of Tokyo.
The class was very diverse. We had high schoolers, lawyers, undergraduates and graduates from various countries. Therefore, we could see political issues from various perspectives and ask examples of each country. This kind of discussion is what I can’t experience in Japan.
Both courses were completely beyond my expectations. I felt that seven weeks is the best length for a summer program because you can build a relationship which lasts even after the program ends and immerse yourself in a new environment. I can confirm that these seven weeks that I spent at Harvard have been the most fulfilling time in my life.
I’d like to show my greatest gratitude for your support. Without the generous financial support from FUTI, I could not have spent this unforgettable summer at Harvard. I feel fortunate to have gotten this opportunity, thank you very much. I promise that I will make the most of this experience in the future path.
Hunter Liu
Stanford University / Bioengineering
Excerpts from his experience at UTRIP (The University of Tokyo Research Internship Program):
I had an amazing experience within my lab, but I learned at least as much outside of it. This was my first time coming to Japan, and initially it wasn’t easy despite having taken some Japanese language courses. Finding specific toiletries and ordering from a menu with unfamiliar dishes were some of the interesting challenges I tackled.
Above all else, the true highlight of my time in Japan was the amazing people I got to meet. My research mentors tolerated my broken Japanese and strove to comprehensively answer my questions despite the language barrier. The owner of one restaurant in Kyoto offered us her delicious tea for free, and even tried to give us her umbrellas. My friends in my lab and program exposed me to perspectives from around the world.
I am glad that I participated in the UTRIP program and grateful to the Okada lab, UTRIP, and FUTI for making all this possible. My six weeks in Japan changed the way I look at the world, and I’ll treasure the pictures and memories I made in Japan for the rest of my life.
Support the Global Leaders of Tomorrow!
Iwao Ojima
President and CEO, Friends of UTokyo, Inc.
Dear Supporters of Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI):
I hope this message finds you well. Since its inception in 2007, the Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI) has been providing excellent opportunities to a number of highly talented students from the US and Japan through FUTI’s short-term (summer) scholarships, as well as to many promising UTokyo alumni through mid- to long-term scholarships. These scholarships have undoubtedly made substantial impacts on the lives and career development of outstanding UTokyo students and alumni, as well as students of leading US universities in science, technology, arts, economics, the humanities, etc., as potential next-generation leaders in the world. In this context, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the late Professor Hisashi Kobayashi, the late Mr. Masatoshi Ito and the late Dr. Chihiro Kanagawa, who passed away this spring for their invaluable contributions to FUTI’s establishment and operations. I should also mention that FUTI added a new scholarship, “Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship”, for mid- to long-term studies, as the first scholarship fund established with the UTokyo New York Office (UT NYO) to fulfill our mission this year.
The world is facing many serious problems, e.g., natural disasters induced by climate change, pandemic diseases, rise of autocracy, brutal wars in Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Palestine, increasing number of migrants, a widening gap between the wealthy and the poor, etc. Therefore, the cultivation of the next-generation leaders, who are resilient and can find solutions to these issues, is evermore essential for us, which is exactly the mission of FUTI.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those who have supported FUTI’s mission to foster the global leaders of tomorrow, and ask for your continued support. I also would like to call upon each and every friend and patron who endorse FUTI’s mission for continued support in order for us to sustain and enrich FUTI’s Programs through 2024 and beyond. For further information on FUTI’s organization and activities, please see the 2022 Annual Report.
Please visit friendsofutokyo.org/donate for online and postal donations. In the donation form, you are encouraged to specify to which program your donation will be applied.
Best regards,
Iwao Ojima, President
Support the Global Leaders of Tomorrow!
Junji Takegami
Vice President and COO, Friends of UTokyo, Inc.
Greetings from the COO
I am certain that many of you are aware that, your contributions to FUTI, a 501(c)(3) organization in the US, will be deductible from your “gross income (AGI)” in your US federal tax filing. However, do you know what kind of benefits are available in Japan?
Unfortunately, contributions to FUTI do not have tax merits under Japanese tax law. However, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) counts them as contributions to the University and counts them cumulatively under the name of the donor over their lifetime. This is because the University of Tokyo recognizes FUTI as a closely related non-profit organization, even though it is an independent entity.
Benefits for FUTI donors in Japan include invitations to special seminars and activity briefing sessions at UTokyo, as well as conferment of donor titles according to the amount contributed. Furthermore, for those who have contributed a total of 300,000 yen or more, a nameplate with the donor’s name is displayed at the Yasuda Auditorium. Additionally, the University recommends donors with a cumulative contributions of more than 5 million yen to the Japanese government for a “Konnju Houshou” (Dark Blue Ribbon Award). When I recently returned to Japan for a visit, I was pleased to find a plaque with my name on it in the Yasuda Auditorium’s Donor Appreciation Section. I ended up taking a photo of the plaque. It was a moment of ultimate satisfaction for me, as I realized that I had marked my name in the Yasuda Auditorium of my alma mater.
For more information, please visit the link to the UTokyo Foundation on the FUTI donation page.
Junji Takegami, COO
