On 6 December 2023, Kyoto University and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) hosted two events as part of their 'Innovative Africa: Educational Networking Programs for Human Resource Development in Africa's SDGs (Innovative Africa Program, or IAfP)', underway since 2020 with support from the education and science ministry (MEXT) provided under the 'Inter-University Exchange Project with Africa'. The two events were 1) the 3rd Advisory Committee for Developing Human Resources for Africa/External Evaluation Committee and 2) the 3rd Joint Meeting for Human Resource Development in Africa, both held online and in-person at Kyoto Academia Forum, Tokyo.
The 3rd Advisory Committee for Developing Human Resources for Africa/External Evaluation Committee brought together 50 representatives from the 10 universities carrying out programs under the Inter-University Exchange Project with Africa. After discussing the Project and related matters with the nine members of the Advisory Committee, the university officials reported on the progress of their respective programs and received feedback from and exchanged opinions with the African experts comprising the External Evaluation Committee.
Next, the 3nd Joint Meeting for Human Resource Development in Africa was held with 64 participants from 16 universities and 17 business, government, and non-government organizations engaged in related activities. The meeting began with a speech by Ms Hideko Hadzialic, director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Representation Office in Tokyo. Officials from Yokogawa Electric Corporation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) then outlined the human resource development efforts being undertaken by their organizations across Africa and Japan, both speakers citing cases that had involved effective utilization of personnel at corporations. These were followed by a discussion among participants on the topic of human resource training, with opinions and information actively exchanged across the boundaries of academia and practice.
