2019/4/3

An international forum on the “Authenticity, Adaptation, and Translation of Heritage in Asian Tourism,” hosted by our Department of Global Tourism, was held in Room 171 (Special Lecture Hall) at Building 1 on the afternoon of Saturday, March 23rd. Participants included researchers from universities in 5 ASEAN countries. Results from this joint research project over the past 3 years was presented in the panel discussion, and opinions were exchanged on how this partnership could work from here on.

The project began in academic year 2016 under the Grant Program for Promotion of Cultural Collaboration by the Japan Foundation’s Asia Center. Members of this project were comprised of professors and students from universities in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, and tourist cities in Japan. Over the years, the team has paid a visit to Malaysia and Thailand. Field work has also been conducted in central Kyoto last March under the theme of “cuisine,” and all participating universities have shared that the “mutual exchanges were productive and meaningful.”

Jeff Berglund, Chair of Department of Global Tourism, concluded the discussion by emphasizing the significance of this project: “although it wasn’t easy to overcome our differences, it was definitely an experience worthwhile.” Among the 150 people in the audience were prospective students who are about to enroll in the Department of Global Tourism from this April. One female student residing in Osaka said, “it was exciting to listen to discussions held in English. I can’t wait for classes to start!”

Back