At Hachioji Campus, a special lecture was given by the NGO Bridge Asia Japan, who shared their experiences about the current situation in Myanmar.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the Teikyo University Hachioji Campus, a special lecture was held in the "International Cooperation Theory I" class taught by Professor Jun Nishioka of the Department of Department of Global Japanese Studies Faculty of Languages and Cultures, with Masaharu Niishi, Secretary General of the NGO (non-governmental organization) Bridge Asia Japan, as guest speaker.
The organization has been providing grassroots support to local residents in Vietnam and Myanmar for over 30 years. Mr. Shinseki himself was actually involved in a daily necessities supply project in the central dry region of Myanmar.

On the day, we heard from him about the current situation in Myanmar, based on his own experiences. He explained that Myanmar is made up of 135 ethnic groups, and that ethnic conflicts continue between them, and that despite the country having abundant natural resources, the people are suffering from poverty due to political turmoil. He also talked about the problems he faced while working on the ground after the coup, and the importance of moving forward even if you have a disability.
In addition, in relation to the humanitarian crisis known as the Rohingya issue, in which the Rohingya, an ethnic minority in Myanmar, have suffered persecution and discrimination for many years, resulting in large numbers of refugees, Mr. Ito spoke frankly about the difficulties and conflicts that an NGO faces in maintaining its neutrality and independence, which provided some insightful insights.
There are very few people who can speak about the current situation in Myanmar, so this talk was a valuable and meaningful opportunity for the students to not only learn about the country, but also to experience actual NGO activities.

For more information about the NGO Bridge Asia Japan, click here
For more information about Professor Jun Nishioka, click here
For more information about Faculty of Languages and Cultures Department of Global Japanese Studies please click here

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