On July 7, 2025, Mr. Lee Yoong Yoong, Director for Community Affairs Directorate, ASEAN Secretariat, delivered a lecture at the Faculty of Global Human Sciences (Graduate School of Intercultural Studies), Kobe University. He was visiting Japan in conjunction with events at the ASEAN Pavilion (International Organizations Pavilion) at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and visited the university together with Ms. Ei Ei Khin, Director of Programme Operations, ASEAN-Japan Centre (Tokyo), and another ASEAN staff.

Prior to the lecture, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, where they were welcomed by Vice Dean SADAYOSHI Yasushi, Head of the Department of Cultural Interaction INOUE Hirotaka, Chairperson of the International Exchange Committee TACHIBANA Makoto, Associate Professor KARASHIMA Masato, and Lecturer David Adebahr. The meeting included discussions on Japan–ASEAN relations and academic exchanges between Kobe University and Southeast Asian universities.

The lecture, titled “What is ASEAN? A Brief on ASEAN Community Building and Its Relevance to Southeast Asia,” covered the history of Southeast Asia from the Cold War period to the present, explained ASEAN’s current economic strength and cultural diversity, and discussed relationships with countries and regions including Japan and Australia, before concluding with expectations for the next generation. More than 100 students attended the lecture, including students from ASEAN member countries such as Vietnam and Myanmar, as well as graduate students researching Singapore, Director Lee’s home country.

Following the lecture, students posed questions about ASEAN’s current situation, and some students engaged in further discussion with the speaker after the event concluded. At Kobe University, partner institutions such as the University of Indonesia and Nanyang Technological University have become popular destinations for student exchange programs and overseas study tours, while an increasing number of students participate in domestic events such as Thai festivals. In recent years, some students have even visited countries like Malaysia on school trips before entering university.

This lecture event was made possible with significant cooperation from both ASEAN, headquartered in Jakarta, and the ASEAN–Japan Centre, which promotes friendship and goodwill between Japan and Southeast Asia through tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. The Faculty of Global Human Sciences and Graduate School of Intercultural Studies at Kobe University will continue to advance research, education, and social collaboration through partnerships with academic and cultural institutions in Southeast Asia and around the world.

(Graduate School of Intercultural Studies)