On July 16 (Tuesday), at Soka University Literature Building C, an opening ceremony took place for the South Asia Research Center, which has as its purpose the promotion of research and exchanges with Southern Asian countries.
The ceremony was attended by Indian Ambassador to Japan Sanjay Kumar Verma, Second Secretary of the Embassy of India in Japan Karan Yadav, and approximately 50 faculty and students of Soka University.

To date, Soka University has made exchange agreements with a total of 10 universities—seven universities in India, including the University of Delhi and its St. Stephen’s College, two universities in Nepal, including Tribhuvan University, and Sri Lanka’s University of Kelaniya—engaging in educational research and student exchange. The newly established center will engage in: the promotion of surveys and research related to the Southern Asian region, the promotion of networking among universities in Southern Asian regions and Japan, the further invigoration of exchange programs between Soka University and St. Stephen’s College, the accepting of international students from Southern Asian regions to Japan, and the promotion of communication with the Indian Embassy and NPO corporations and various related groups.

At the opening ceremony, Professor Mukesh Williams of the Faculty of Letters, and who serves as the center’s vice director, read out a message from Principal John Varghese of St. Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi. This was followed by greetings by Soka University President Yoshihisa Baba, who shared: “We would like to contribute significantly to not only to the solution of various issues confronting Southern Asian regions but also the world, along with working for the peace of humankind, and further, the prosperity of culture around the world.”

At the end, Indian Ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma shared his congratulatory words, expressing his expectations that the center contributes to the development of Southern Asia countries through its research activities while communicating with various institutions, aiming to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as designated by the United Nations.
The opening ceremony was followed by a commemorative symposium titled, “Peace of Southern Asia and Digital Media,” held at Soka University’s Central Education Tower “Global Square.”