From April 21 to 28, 2025, Ehime University welcomed two Japanese language education specialists, Ms. BÎRLEA Oana-Maria and Ms. TUDORICĂ Ioana-Ciliana, from Babeș-Bolyai University, one of our international partner universities in Romania, as part of the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Programme.
Babeș-Bolyai University, founded in 1581 and located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is a prestigious national university with approximately 43,000 students and 1,700 faculty members across 22 faculties. Japanese language education began at the university in 1998, and in 2008, a major in Japanese studies was established within the Faculty of Letters. In recent years, there has been active academic exchange between the university and Ehime University, and mutual understanding has deepened, particularly in Japanese language education and cultural exchange.
Ms. BÎRLEA and Ms. TUDORICĂ deepened their exchanges with faculty members at the Institute for International Relations (IIR). In particular, they exchanged views on issues and ideas related to Japanese language education, especially kanji education, presented their respective educational initiatives, and held concrete discussions on future cooperation opportunities.
Ms. TUDORICĂ also gave a lecture in English entitled “Japanese Calligraphy and Romanian Calligraphy: Differences and Similarities,” which was attended by 14 students and faculty members, including both international and Japanese students. They were conducted with interactive quizzes, followed by an active Q&A session. Many participants were deeply moved by Ms. TUDORICĂ’s profound knowledge and passion for calligraphy. The opportunity to learn about the differences and similarities in expression between Romania and Japan was very meaningful, and a valuable time was shared by all.
Ms. BÎRLEA and Ms. TUDORICĂ also interacted with students from our university who had participated in exchange programs at Babeș-Bolyai University, as well as exchange students from Babeș-Bolyai University currently enrolled at our university. It was a meaningful time for faculty members and students to actively exchange views on their study abroad experiences and learning, further deepening the understanding and connection between the two universities. In addition, a reception hosted by Professor Emeritus Shimizu Fumito, Ehime University Specially-Appointed Ambassador, was held, which brought together various Romania-related individuals from both within and outside the university and provided an opportunity to deepen exchanges in a friendly atmosphere.
Through this exchange program, the human network between the two universities has been further strengthened. In addition to continuing mutual student exchanges, Ehime University plans to send staff to Babeș-Bolyai University in the future. There are also plans to accept faculty members from Babeș-Bolyai University again. Ehime University and Babeș-Bolyai University will continue to steadily build stable and multi-layered exchanges based on the framework established by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Academic Exchange, the Agreement on Student Exchange, and the Agreement on Erasmus+ Programme.
＜International Relations Office＞