In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the School of International Liberal Studies (=SILS), the 20th Anniversary Celebration Party was held on Sunday, November 17, 2024 at RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo.
“We are now pleased to present the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Founding of the School of International Liberal Studies.”
The celebration started with an announcement by Yui Suzuki, a 2016 graduate of the School of International Liberal Studies, who is now an anchor at Fuji Television Networks.
A detailed report will be published on our website at a later date,
This article provides a brief report on the celebration.
1. Opening remarks
Professor Norimasa Morita, former dean of the SILS and still teaching at the school, gave the opening address.
2. Opening Session by Successive Deans
After the opening remarks, an opening session was held by successive deans of the SILS.
The themes of the opening session were their efforts and memories of their time as dean of the SILS, and their expectations for the future of the SILS.
Five professors spoke on the stage:
Professor Satoshi Inaba, current Dean of the SILS; Professor Katsuichi Uchida, the first Dean of the school; Professor Snowden Paul, the second Dean; Professor Norimasa Morita, the third Dean; and Professor Pinnington Adrian, the fourth Dean.
At the end of the session, Dean Inaba introduced the new school introduction video for the SILS, which was produced to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the school.
3. Toast Speech
The toast was given by Professor Detey Sylvain, who was in a member of the executive committee for the SILS and is currently the dean of the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies.
Prior to the free talking time, the ceremonial address from the President of Waseda University, Professor Aiji Tanaka was read out. In addition to that, all participants shared the joy of hearing that Emeritus Professor Kiyoshi Nakamura was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon in this fall’s Decoration of Honor.
During the party, a variety of languages were spoken, and all participants seemed to be enjoying themselves.
4. Talk Session by alumni
Talk session was held by SILS alumni in the middle of the party. Members were Mr. Masao Katagiri, who graduated from the SILS with honors in 2023 and currently works for Bank of America Securities, Ms. Azusa Yabe, who graduated from the SILS in 2009 and currently works for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Ms. Yui Suzuki, who also served as the moderator of their party. They talked about their learning and memories at SILS, their current job, and putting the SILS experience in use under the theme of “After Graduating from SILS -Now & Then”.
5. Commemorative Performance by the Waseda University Cheering Club
Members of the Waseda University Cheering Club also attended the event.
They performed “Konpeki no Sora,” “Cheering Song Medley,” and “Waseda University School Song,” and the audience was very excited.
6. Closing Remarks
The closing address was given by Emeritus Professor Katsuichi Uchida, who retired in 2017 after serving as the first Dean of the SILS and as the Vice President of Waseda University.
At the end of the event, all participants took a commemorative photo, and the 20th anniversary celebration ended with wishes for the future development of SILS and the success of SILS graduates.
