Vietnamese universities win Japan Foundation Awards 2021

The Faculty of Japanese Language and Culture of the University of Languages and International Studies – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS – VNU), the Faculty of Japanese Language of the Foreign Trade University and the Faculty of Japanese Language of the Hanoi University have been honoured with the Japan Foundation Awards 2021.

Foreign Trade University students participate in a communication skills class taught by Japan Airlines (JAL). (Photo: Foreign Trade University).
Foreign Trade University students participate in a communication skills class taught by Japan Airlines (JAL). (Photo: Foreign Trade University).

Every year since 1973, the Japan Foundation has presented the Japan Foundation Awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to promoting international mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and other countries through academic, artistic and other cultural pursuits.

2021 marks the 48th year of the awards. The consisted of a total of 101 nominations, including those of the previous year’s awards, which were canceled due to the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.

The Professional Council awarded four awards to individuals and groups, including Director Koreeda Hirokazu (Film Director, Japan), Artist Miyata Mayumi (Instrumentalist Shō, Japan), Professor Irmela Hijiya Kirschnereit (Professor of Freie University Berlin, Germany), Faculty of Japanese Language and Culture (the University of Languages and International Studies – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS – VNU), Vietnam), Faculty of Japanese Language (Foreign Trade University, Vietnam) and Faculty of Japanese Language (Hanoi University, Vietnam).

The Foreign Trade University started teaching Japanese in 1961, providing training in the fields of economics, administration, and foreign affairs. After that, Hanoi University also introduced Japanese teaching in 1973 and began implementing a Master's programme in Japanese in 2010.

The ULIS – VNU started teaching Japanese in 1992, the only school implementing the Japanese Pedagogical programme and training regular Japanese language teachers for the level of general education in Vietnam, as well as starting a Master's programme in Japanese for the first time in Vietnam in 2009.

The excellent human resources of the three universities have over time created a strong bond between the two countries. At the same time, all three schools have joined together, dedicating themselves to the current expansion of Japanese language training at the general education level.

With their contributions to the cause of Japanese language education in Vietnam during the past , all 3 schools have contributed to training excellent human resources and promoting mutual understanding in the development of relationships between the two countries. Those achievements are fully worthy of the Japan Foundation Award.