Universidad de los Andes begins construction of the Japanese Center

The Japanese Center at Universidad de los Andes started to become a physical reality with the symbolic laying of the first brick. The Japanese information center for culture, economy, and academia will open its door in the second semester in 2018 as part of the 110^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Colombia.

The center will host a library dedicated to Japanese culture and thought, a multi-purpose room, classrooms, a terrace, an exhibition room, and a one-hundred-person capacity auditorium.

The Japanese Center for Culture, Economy, and Academia will be founded in Universidad de los Andes thanks to the aid of the government and businessmen from the Asian country.

For Keiichiro Morishita, the Japanese ambassador in Colombia, “Japan is happily committed to the center as it is an excellent opportunity to promote human resources in different areas that will support the Asia-Pacific age, which will, the same time, contribute to greater development and increase in business between both countries”.

According to Pablo Navas, vice-chancellor of Universidad de los Andes, the Japanese Center will facilitate a greater understanding of the country’s culture, architecture, international politics, engineering, negotiation systems, science, and technology and innovation. As such, he emphasized that, “this center will not only benefit students but also the community around the university and the community in general thanks to the generous donation by the Japanese government and businessmen from the Asian country”.

The purpose of the center is to make Japan’s cultural wealth more accessible in order to promote the transfer of knowledge in the university and foster cooperation between Japanese and Colombian countries on a work-related, social, and economic level.  

The first brick was laid as part of the seventieth anniversary celebrations for the foundation of Universidad de los Andes.