ABU DHABI, sixth September, 2022 (WAM) — The first Youth Ambassadors Programme Japan (YAPJP) has been launched with the intention of deepening cultural ties and harnessing younger expertise.
The launch of the programme is available in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Japan.
YAP Japan targets Emirati college students from 5 universities throughout the UAE who aspire to check and procure a grasp’s diploma in Japan. This 12 months’s inaugural programme chosen 21 bold college students out of a aggressive pool of 250 candidates.
Building on the success of earlier and current Youth Ambassadors Programmes, between the UAE and different nations, together with China, South Korea and Germany, the primary iteration between the UAE and Japan is being organised in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Centre (JICE).
The programme will present individuals with a profound information of Japanese tradition, historical past, language, and aesthetics. The graduates of YAP Japan are anticipated to turn into leaders in fields of presidency, industries, and academia and play essential roles in fostering a mutually useful relationship between the 2 nations.
Initially launched in 2012, the programme goals to develop and equip younger Emiratis to tackle outstanding roles in strategic sectors, rising their understanding of the economic system, authorities, historical past, tradition, and language via strengthened engagement with chosen strategic companions of the UAE. To date, greater than 200 alumni have graduated from the programme.
YAP Japan kicked off with an orientation on the Emirates Palace on twenty fifth August, as a way to have a good time the brand new cohort and with the presence of key figures, together with Akio Isomata, Ambassador of Japan to the UAE, and Alanood Al Kaabi, Programme Manager of the Youth Ambassadors Programme. Masashi Watanabe, Director of Petroleum Policy on the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, joined the occasion nearly.
The orientation allowed individuals to study extra in regards to the programme and its help, in addition to expertise a conventional Japanese tea ceremony workshop with the Urasenke Abu Dhabi Study Group.
YAPJAPAN intention every of the individuals will enroll in a grasp’s diploma within the autumn of 2023, and prematurely of their research can have an opportunity to expertise a variety of programs, together with Japanese cultural workshop, particular person research counseling with skilled and Japanese Language course specifically made for YAP pupil.
Each pupil may even have the ability to take part within the upcoming Japan Visit Programme this December, permitting them to expertise Japanese tradition and expertise up shut and have a chance to go to a few of their high universities in Japan.
The 21 college students chosen for this 12 months’s programme have a deep curiosity in Japan; for a lot of, popular culture was the spark that fired their ardour.
Fatima Aldahmani, a graduate of Ras Al Khaimah’s Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), is one in every of them. “I first became interested in Japan through anime. I studied the Japanese language by myself for almost seven years and have my own Instagram account where I teach Japanese to Arabic speakers,” she says.
Her fellow participant, Sara Al Ameri, a fourth-year pupil at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed University, additionally has a ardour for Japanese tradition, each pop and conventional. “I became interested in Japan first through Pokemon, games, and anime from my brother, and developed my own broader interests in different cultural areas such as kabuki, enka, comedy, and more,” she stated. A pupil of psychology, Al Ameri plans to additional her research with a deal with studying about Japanese analysis into psychological well being and the way it compares to the UAE.
For participant Ahmad Al Hashimi, a fourth-year pupil at Dubai’s Higher Colleges of Technology, his introduction to Japan lies in tech. “I’ve been interested in space and technology since I was a child. I’m excited about the opportunity to further my studies in Japan, and would like to learn about robotics and space engineering,” he says. A pupil of mechatronics , together with digital engineering, mechanical engineering, and laptop science, Al Hashimi may even be representing the UAE on the upcoming WorldSkills competitors within the cell robotics class.
Alanood Al Kaabi, the Programme Manager of the Youth Ambassadors Programme, believes that individuals will profit significantly from the chance. “The programme offers participants wonderful opportunities to learn more about Japanese culture across many different sectors, and will equip them with valuable skills for their future careers,” she says. “I’m excited to see that 16 of the 21 participants are women, highlighting the fact that there are many talented female Emiratis with great careers ahead of them.”
Shigeto Aoki, General Manager of the JICE Abu Dhabi Office, says that the programme is essential in strengthening cultural ties. “The launch of the inaugural Young Ambassadors Programme between Japan and the United Arab Emirates is a key initiative in deepening our cultural bonds, especially in 2022, the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” he says.