On 8 January 2026, the International Education and Student Mobility Division (IESMD) hosted the second Ukrainian Cultural Event, following its inaugural edition held last year. The event took place in the ground-floor lobby of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS) Building with 85 students participating. Its aims were to foster interest in Ukraine through cultural experiences and to promote interaction between Ukrainian students and other KyotoU students.
The program, planned by 11 of the Ukrainian students currently studying at Kyoto University, began with an introduction to the country’s traditional events and their origins as well as culinary culture. This was followed by a presentation on national costumes and ornaments. While listening attentively to the talk, which covered the types and meanings of these items and how they have been passed down over time, participants savored honey butter bread and fruit juice, refreshments reminiscent of home for many Ukrainians.
The next segment was a “Cyrillic Script Workshop”. Using a chart with both the Cyrillic alphabet and the 50 Japanese hiragana characters, participants created original name cards written in Ukrainian. Many participants asked the Ukrainian students questions as they worked on writing their own names.
An exchange session followed, with all the students chatting amiably at each table in a warm and welcoming setting, accompanied by photo displays and Ukrainian music.
Participant feedback included comments such as: “I joined because I was interested in the Cyrillic script,” “The event was packed with fun activities -- the photo exhibition, tea-time experience, presentations, and workshop,” and “It made me want to learn more about Ukraine.” Ukrainian students shared their thoughts as well, and one of them said, “We wanted people to learn more about Ukraine’s unique culture, and we were delighted to see so many people take part.”
For the participants, the event served as both an opportunity to learn about Ukrainian culture in English as well as a catalyst for their desire to learn more about Ukraine and continue exchanges with its people.
