"Educational diplomacy" took center stage at Kawauchi campus on December 6, when Tohoku University's Global Learning Centre and the University of Sydney co-hosted a symposium on how young people can build more inclusive and resilient societies through intercultural collaboration.

Supported by the Australia-Japan Foundation, the event brought together over a hundred participants, including university and high school students, educators and policy experts from both countries.

Opening remarks from Tohoku University and the Australian Embassy emphasised the vital role of youth exchange in shaping future societies. Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi framed the challenge: "The promotion of multicultural coexistence is one of the most critical challenges of our time," he said. "As societies become more diverse, educational institutions, local communities, governmental bodies and international organisations all play essential roles in fostering mutual understanding and social cohesion. Today's programme brings together voices from each of these sectors, offering a rare opportunity to explore this issue from multiple angles. I am confident that such a gathering will inspire new ideas and pathways for collaboration."

A panel discussion followed, with representatives from both universities and civil society organisations sharing initiatives to promote multiculturalism.

Global Learning Centre Director Kazuko Suematsu identified a concerning post-pandemic trend among Japanese youth. "Students see what's happening around the world, and perhaps feel it is safer or more comfortable to stay in Japan," she said. "But if they do, Japan will continue to shrink, not only in terms of population, but also in international presence. We really have to encourage young people to open their eyes to global challenges and become more active in effecting positive change."

Suematsu also outlined Tohoku University's vision of placing intercultural learning at the heart of its identity as a University for International Research Excellence. "We're working with society, with companies, local communities, schools and NPOs," she said. "If we can expand our intercultural learning campus to the whole society, and even outside Japan, we can further broaden our students' learning experiences."

The symposium built upon the Tohoku University Japanese Programme (TUJP) - of which the University of Sydney is a regular participant - and drew on an intercultural learning class taught by Specially Appointed Senior Assistant Professor Denka Yanagi, that explored creating a diverse society in Japan through the lens of international workers in the fishery industry.

A workshop held as part of the symposium gave participants the opportunity to engage with students from the class. "Through fieldwork and the symposium, our students were able to exchange ideas with people outside our campus and hear different perspectives, which enabled them to refine their thinking," Yanagi explained.

The partnership between Tohoku University and the University of Sydney has already produced innovative approaches to international exchange.

"Beyond the symposium, we have linked multiple classrooms through intercultural learning activities, allowing students to engage in rich international exchange online without leaving their home country," said Ai Terada, an associate lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Sydney. And student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants describing the experience as helping them grow "not only as a student, but also as a more thoughtful global citizen."

Suematsu sees this collaboration as potentially transformative. "We have a lot of research programmes with our partner universities, but for education, we haven't really done anything like this involving communities. So, this could be the start of something." The planned launch of Tohoku University's Gateway College in 2027 is expected to provide further momentum for such initiatives.