NEWS

Rumen Radev: The Partnership between Bulgaria and Japan Provides the Opportunity for our Speeded-up Development as a Country of High Technologies and Science

The Head of State awarded the Rector of Toyo University Dr. Makio Takemura an honorary sign

There are strong spiritual ties between Bulgaria and Japan, which keep strengthening namely by deepening the relations in education, science and culture. In this way Bulgaria can rapidly develop as a country of high technologies and science. This is what Head of State Rumen Radev said, who awarded the Rector of Toyo University in Japan Dr. Makio Takemura the presidential honorary sign at a ceremony held in the coat-of-arms hall at 2 Dondukov street. The President noted that the award is an expression of gratitude for Dr. Takemura’s contribution to enriching and strengthening the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Japan in the areas of education, science and culture.

Rumen Radev recalled his visit to the Toyo University in 2019. In his words, what was most valuable was the opportunity to hold talks with the young people in Japan, “to share our vision for our common future, and also to see with great satisfaction that our Bulgarian students and lecturers are well welcomed and valued in Japan.” 

“We will continue to support and encourage both our students and teachers in Japan as well as Japanese students in Bulgaria,” President Radev further said at the ceremony, which was attended by Japanese Ambassador to Bulgaria Masato Watanabe, Dr. Ivan Botev, lecturer at Toyo, Bulgarian students who studied in Japan and Japanese students from the Toyo University, studying in Bulgaria in the current academic year under the exchange program with the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.

Dr. Makio Takemura voiced his deep gratitude for the award and thanked for the support and the warm attitude to the Toyo University. Gradually, yet assuredly strong ties between higher education in Bulgaria, in the person of the University of Sofia, and our university are being built, the Rector of the Japanese university said and added that together successful results in the exchange of students are being achieved.

After the ceremony the President, the Rector of Toyo and all other guests held a meeting at 2 Dondukov street, at which the prospects for a follow-up expansion of partnership between Bulgaria and Japan in the areas of education and investments were discussed. The role of cooperation in education and the exchange of experience as a solid basis for future joint Bulgarian-Japanese projects was highlighted at the meeting. The Japanese and Bulgarian students, for their part, shared the experience and impressions gained in the process of scientific exchange.