Humanities and arts [2025-05-05]

Polish-Japanese space for exchange of knowledge and experience

— Editors

For a decade, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń has been successfully implementing a partnership in the area of teaching and scientific activities with Kobe University. During the scientific symposium “Harmony of Cooperation," we set new directions for strong cooperation.

In connection with Poland's presence at the World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, in cooperation with the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, is implementing the project “Harmony of Heritage and Innovation: Polish-Japanese Cooperation in Urban Studies and Japanese Studies," funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. As part of the project, a scientific symposium “Harmony of Cooperation" was held at our partner Kobe University from April 23-25, 2025, during the ongoing Polish Science Week.

The three-day symposium was attended by scientists and experts from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and Kobe University, as well as representatives of Toruń's municipal institutions, including the City Hall of Toruń.The event's program was filled with numerous presentations, discussions and panels on cooperation between the two universities in areas such as Japanese studies and culture, cultural heritage or research and education in the field of legal sciences and Japanese studies, as well as in the field of urban studies in the context of the Toruń Urban Laboratory. We also recalled the history of the journey we have been on together for 10 years and set new directions for strong cooperation.

Japanese day

We started the symposium “Harmony of Cooperation" with a Japanese day on April 23. The opening panel included Dr. Adam Kola, Prof. UMK, Vice-Rector for Research, Dr. Magdalena Barwiołek, Prof. UMK, Vice-Rector for International Relations, Dr. Marcelina de Zoete-Leśniczak, responsible for the partnership agreement between Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and Kobe University in the field of Japanese studies and research, Prof. Maciej Serowaniec, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration at UMK responsible for the partnership agreement between UMK and Kobe University in the field of law. The panel was moderated by Dr. Michal Bomastyk, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Toruń for Equality, President of the Foundation Institute for Counteracting Exclusions, coordinator of the scientific symposium “Harmony of Cooperation."

The day was filled with numerous presentations and discussions on cultural heritage and Japanese culture, research and teaching. The speakers were Toshikazu Seguchi, Barbara Zaremba, Wojciech Nowak, Dr. Małgorzata Sobczyk, Dr. Marcelina de Zoete-Leśniczak, Dr. Monika Lecińska-Ruchniewicz and Dr. Aleksandra Jaworowicz-Zimny from the Department of Oriental Studies (Faculty of Humanities, UMK), as well as Katarzyna Paczuska from the Museum of Far East Art (District Museum in Toruń).

Speeches by our Japanese speakers were of interest to the Kobe University community. Also present at the Japanese Day were our male and female students who are doing their internship at the Polish Pavilion at the World EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

Strategy day

In 1995, on the initiative of Prof. Roman S. Ingarden, the Japanese Language and Culture Laboratory was established to organize teaching activities related to Japan and prepare the ground for the establishment of Japanese studies.

On April 24, at our partner Kobe University, we recalled the history of our 10-year-long journey together and set new directions for strong cooperation.

The panels were attended by Dr. Adam Kola, Prof. UMK, Vice-Rector for Research, Dr. Magdalena Barwiołek, Prof. UMK, Vice-Rector for International Relations, Dr. Marcelina de Zoete-Leśniczak, Prof. Maciej Serowaniec, and representatives of Kobe University: Prof. Kawai Naruo, Director of the Center for Global Education (Institute for the Promotion of Higher Education), Prof. Hanada Eva from the Institute for the Promotion of International Partnerships, and Prof. Kinoshita Masahiko from the Faculty of Law. The panels were moderated by Dr. Michal Bomastyk.

In the second part of the day, during a closed-door meeting, Vice-Rector for Research Dr. Adam Kola, Prof. UMK, and Vice-Rector for International Relations Dr. Magdalena Barwiołek, Prof. UMK, met with representatives of Kobe University: Prof. Tamaki Hishashi, Vice President for Education and Global Affairs. Education and Global Affairs, Director of the Institute for the Promotion of International Partnerships, Prof. Mizuhata Minoru, Director of the Europe and Africa Department, Prof. Hanada Eva of the Institute for the Promotion of International Partnerships and Karashima Masato - Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Cultural Studies. The talks focused on determining the main areas of cooperation between the universities - a targeted approach to selected research areas, the development of summer schools and the strengthening of student exchange programs.

Urban Lab

25 April, for the third time, we met with the Kobe University community to talk about how the university can be part of the city and how NGOs can be visible at the university. You could hear about urban studies, an edible garden and eco-friendly thermal rehabilitation of historic buildings.

Paulina Jeziorek from the Copernican Integration Centre of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Patryk Wawrzynski, Director of the Bureau of Dialogue and Urban Innovations from the City of Toruń, Dr. Michal Bomastyk, plenipotentiary of the mayor of Toruń for equality and chairman of the board of directors of the Foundation Institute for Counteracting Exclusion, Prof. Ulrich Schaaf from the Department of Conservation at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, and Natalia Gnoińska from the 8Marca Foundation gave their talks during the third day of the symposium “Harmony of Cooperation" under the banner of Urban Lab.

The panel “NCU and Toruń - Story of Friendship" was attended by Adam Vice-Rector for Research, PhD, UMK professor, vice-rector for science, Magdalena Barwiołek, PhD, UMK professor, vice-rector for international relations, and Sylwia Żebrowska, head of the Representation and External Cooperation Office of the City of Toruń.

This project has been supported by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the International Scientific Event Program at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai - Agreement No. BPI/OSA/2024/1/010016/U/00001.