Thursday, May 31 – Former Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, visited Sias International University on the 31st of May. Mr. Hatoyama served as the 60th Prime Minister of Japan from 2009 to 2010. He was accompanied by a delegation that included his wife, Miyuki Hatoyama, and the Director of his Office, Yoshika Daisuke.

 

Other members of the delegation were the Head of China Affairs for Mr. Hatoyama's Office, Gaoyi Mian, the Executive Director of the Dan Zhong Commonwealth Foundation, Zhang Yizhan, former Senior Translator at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Asia Division), Yuan Yong, the Executive Director of the China-Japan Belt and Road Initiative Joint Research Center at Beijing Normal University, Zhong Chu Liao Zhen. The Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, Party Secretary, Ma Jiansheng, President, Chen Sikun, and the heads of the Administrative Office, Party Committee Work Department, Academic Affairs Office, Office of International Relations, and the Logistics Department, received the delegation in an official welcoming ceremony.

 

After the welcoming ceremony, Mr. Hatoyama was given a campus tour that included examples of student entrepreneurship on European Street, a visit to the Chinese Garden, and the new library. He said that he was impressed by the campus environment and facilities. Mr. Hatoyama and his delegation held talks at a forum with Dr. Shawn Chen, and representative students from Sias' Japanese Language Department. The forum was chaired by Dr. Chen Sikun. The two sides held discussions about cultural exchanges, and the development of China and Japan.

 

After the forum, former Prime Minister Hatoyama was interviewed by the Sias News Center, during which he sent messages of encouragement and congratulations for Sias' upcoming 20th anniversary celebrations.