Third International Symposium on Assistance for Afghanistan’s Recovery

2011年1月26日更新

On January 26, 2011, Ochanomizu University held the Third International Symposium on Assistance for Afghanistan’s Recovery, part of a training program for Afghan female teachers implemented by a consortium of five women’s universities (Ochanomizu University, Tsuda College, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, Nara Women’s University, and Japan Women’s University) on behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in an aim to encourage female education in Afghan elementary and junior high schools.

In Part 1 of the symposium, UNICEF Tokyo Office Director Kunihiko Hirabayashi delivered a lecture on the theme Future Support for Women and Children, with a focus on “investing in girls.” He presented research results that show female education improves child nutrition and reduces child mortality rates, and stressed convincingly that this fact demonstrates that investing in girl, and especially in female education, is extremely important for a country’s recovery and growth. His lecture created an excellent opportunity for the female trainees and participating students to re-examine the significance of their own role as women.

Part 2 consisted of a panel discussion in which we invited four Afghan teachers who had studied in Japan on Japanese government scholarships to present what they learned in Japan as students and their thoughts in their respective positions at the present time. This was followed by an active exchange of views including questions from students of Tsuda College, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, Nara Women’s University and Ochanomizu University as well as from the audience. Through the experiences of the former international students, who now work as university faculty members or researchers in Afghanistan or Europe, the participants realized the valuable role that a training program in Japan can play in Afghanistan’s recovery, and the importance of friendly interaction between Japan and Afghanistan in supporting such programs.

By enabling us to confirm the significance of female education and opening up new possibility for future training sessions, the symposium marked a befitting close to the teacher training for Afghan women.