Day 1. Symposium

On November 15th, 2024, we had the honor of welcoming our Esteemed Alumni and Guests to ACROS Fukuoka at the very heart of Fukuoka City to celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 30th Anniversary of Kyushu University's International Programs in Law.

Symposium “Navigating a Risk Society: Legal Challenges, Sustainable Responses” brought together the members of our global academic community to reflect on the history of the International Programs in Law, first established in 1994. One of our very first graduates, Ms. Diana van der Merwe, LL.M. 1997, was honored to open the ceremony with a heartfelt speech. In the following, we received warm words of welcome from Executive Vice President of Kyushu University Prof. Makoto Aratono, and Dean of Faculty of Law Prof. Minoru Tokumoto. We are truly grateful for your kind attention to our Anniversary Event.

Symposium started with an important panel discussion with the Founding Fathers of the International Programs — Prof. Em. Masaharu Yanagihara, Prof. Em. Shinichi Ago, Prof. Em. Toshiyuki Kono, and Mr. Charlie Cowan — whose inspiring decision reshaped the understanding of legal education in Japanese universities and Asia as a region. During the session, we also received congratulatory speeches from several of our Esteemed Alumni and Guests: Prof. Keun-Gwan Lee, Prof. Raul Cano Pangalangan, Prof. Yeow Choy Choong, and Justice Rathavich Ariyapachpol. We would like to convey our deepest appreciation to the Founding Fathers of the International Programs in Law, as well as to our Alumni and Guests, for their continued support and engagement.

The opening panel continued into a series of parallel sessions, where our Alumni and Guests explored the topics ranging from Global Value Chains and Data Justice to the Legal Considerations of Social Robots and Metaverse's implications on law. Kyushu University International Programs in Law would like to express sincerest thanks to all our Esteemed Speakers: Prof. Andrea Martinez, Prof. Branislav Hazucha, Prof. Chih-hsing Ho, Prof. Gerard Porter, Prof. Henrike Weiden, Prof. Joshua Gellers, Prof. Kamil Zeidler, Prof. Lasse Schuldt, Prof. Papawadee Tanodomdej, Prof. Ren Yatsunami, Prof. Ryu Kojima, Prof. Sean McGinty, Prof. Simon Vande Walle, Prof. Steven Van Uytsel, Prof. Toshiyuki Kono, Prof. Yueh-Hsuan Weng, Dr. David Tilt, Dr. Emeric Prévost, Dr. Friedrich Baumgartel, Atty. Donghui Yu, Miss Kanasa Asato, Ms. Abigail Hope Serrano, Ms. Adrienne Lipoma, Ms. An Truong, Ms. Auxane Boch, Ms. Jaymie Reyes, Ms. Jing Gu, Ms. Khadija Imranova, Ms. Ma Golda Gigi Miñoza, Ms. Plaichat Lunagthep, Ms. Rose Angelique Dizon, Ms. Ruth Lewis, Ms. Thi Ngoc Tu Ngo, Mr. Carlo Osi, Mr. Clarence Chua, Mr. Darius Torabi, Mr. David Torabi, Mr. Emerson Banez, Mr. Soma Araoka, Mr. Tomas Dexters, Mr. Tsogtbayar Namsamand, and Mr. Xuan Hoa Nguyen. We would also like to thank our Management Office of International Programs in Law for the preparation of the Anniversary Event.

Finally, we would like to extend our words of gratitude to everyone who participated in the events throughout the day. Thank you for making the memories come alive once again and for contributing to the ongoing success of Kyushu University International Programs in Law.

Day 1. Reception Party

Day 1 of the Anniversary Event concluded with a Reception Party where our Esteemed Alumni, the Founding Fathers, and Guests once again reconnected, reminisced, and enjoyed the warm and sincere atmosphere that has defined the spirit of our community over the past three decades.

Kyushu University International Programs in Law is proud to host such a significant event and grateful for the opportunity to bring everyone together once more.

Day 2. Old Campus & New Campus Visit

On November 16th, 2024, our Esteemed Alumni visited Hakozaki Campus and Ito Campus, which symbolize the past and the present of the International Programs in Law.

In the morning, our Alumni visited the remains of the old Hakozaki Campus where the Faculty of Law was located until 2018. Unfortunately, many of the buildings, including those that once served as the Faculty of Law, have been deconstructed. Nevertheless, the walk through Hakozaki Campus brought a deep sense of nostalgia to everyone.

The tour continued to the Ito campus in Itoshima City, the largest campus in Japan. Our Alumni, the Founding Fathers, and Guests attended the Ceremony in Shiiki Hall celebrating 100 years since the Faculty of Law's foundation. During the ceremony, we were captivated by the achievements of the Architectural Department and Faculty of Engineering of Kyushu University, who are conducting research on cities of Roman Antiquity using the cutting edge technology. They successfully recreated the old Hakozaki Campus in a 3D Virtual Reality world, preserving the memory of all its buildings, including those in which our Alumni once studied. Also, a future vision for the Hakozaki Campus as a futuristic green city was introduced by Prof. Mariko Igimi.

Following the ceremony, our Alumni and Guests visited various points of interest at Ito Campus: the Central Library, the lecture rooms where current master's students study, and the Monument commemorating 100 years of the Faculty of Law. In conclusion, our Alumni and Guests took a group photo in front of the Central Stone of Kyushu University.

Kyushu University International Programs in Law is once again grateful to host the Anniversary Event and proud to show everyone the past, the present, and the future of the International Programs in Law.

Day 3. Munakata & Oshima

On November 17th, 2024, our Esteemed Alumni were invited for an all-day tour to Munakata Shrine and Oshima Island.

The day began with a visit to Munakata Taisha, one of Japan's largest and most popular shrines, located north of Fukuoka City. It is a part of the World Heritage Site 'Sacred Island Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region.' The shrine buildings date back to the 12th century, while the original shrine, located on the sacred island of Okinoshima, has served as a place for safe travel prayers since the 4th century.

In the first part of the tour, we visited the museum, where our Alumni, guided by one the Founding Fathers Prof. Em. Kono, listened to the stories about the rich history of Munakata Shrine. Soon after, the group walked through a beautiful ancient forest taking wonderful photos along the way. Many of our Alumni also visited the Sacred Treasure Hall, where in the dark light the most important exhibits of Munakata Taisha are shown.

In the second part of the tour, our Alumni and Guests took a ferry to Oshima Island, home to one of the old shrines. Oshima Island, the largest remote island in Fukuoka Prefecture, is home to several components of the World Heritage Site. Despite the cold and windy weather, our Alumni enjoyed exploring the island, taking pictures at various spots, including Nakatsumiya Shrine near the port and Okitsumiya Yohaisho on the other side of the island, from where they could observe the sacred island of Okinoshima.

The tour concluded the 30th Anniversary Event of the Kyushu University International Programs in Law, held on November 15-17, 2024.

Kyushu University International Programs in Law would like to send warmest regards to all our esteemed Alumni, the Founding Fathers, Faculty, Guests, Participants, and the Management Office for creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thank you.