Centre for Oriental Studies working visit to leading Japanese research and educational institutions

In April 2025, representatives of the Centre of Oriental Studies at the University of Tartu, Vladimir Sazonov and Rodion Krupin, made a working visit to Japan. The main goal of the visit was to develop academic cooperation, establish new professional contacts, meet with long-standing colleagues, and participate in an international scientific conference.

During the trip, it was a great honour to visit several leading academic institutions in Japan, including Sophia University, the University of Tokyo, and the University of Tsukuba, which is also known for being the place where His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito will begin his studies this academic year. Meetings and talks were also held at Hosei University, Osaka University and Kyoto Sangyo University, where opportunities for joint research, student and faculty exchanges, and joint events and publications were discussed.

A separate and significant point of the program was a visit to the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, one of Japan's leading cultural studies and anthropology research centres. In addition, the colleagues held a meeting at one of the government institutions, where Rodion Krupin held the role of official representative of the University of Tartu.

An essential part of the trip was participation in the international workshop “Frontlines of Cognition and Memory in Eurasia: Russia, China and Greater Central Asia in History and Present”, organised by the ROLES research group at the University of Tokyo and dedicated to geopolitical processes in Eurasia. In the first session, focused on the struggle in the cognitive space, Dr. Dr. Vladimir Sazonov presented a report on the topic: “Russian Information War Against Estonia During the Russian Full-Scale Military Invasion of Ukraine (2022-2024): Information Operations, Russian Espionage, etc.” In addition to representatives of the University of Tartu, leading Japanese experts in international relations, history and security took part in the workshop, making the event an important platform for exchanging opinions and strengthening the academic dialogue between Estonia and Japan.

In addition to participating in the conference, the Centre’s staff also held a series of meetings with Japanese academic community representatives, including new partners and long-standing colleagues from joint projects. At all stages of the trip, special attention was paid to representing the University of Tartu, and especially the Centre for Oriental Studies, as an active participant in international scientific exchange and a high-level research centre.