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Science, Culture, Sport, and Culinary Specialities

With numerous events and celebrations in both countries, Japan and Germany are celebrating 150 years of friendly relations. Bielefeld University has been maintaining good contacts with Japanese universities for many years, and will also be participating in these festivities with a "Japanese Week" from 6-10 June. The Japanese Week should  strengthen these relations – particularly against the background of the recent catastrophe – and provide a framework for building up new contacts. It will be opened by Rektor Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer on the 6th of June at 10.30 a.m. in the University's Main Hall.

Alongside workshops in which scientists from Bielefeld University will exchange information with their Japanese colleagues on subjects ranging from Robotics to German Studies, a variety of information and cultural events will invite visitors to get to know Japan better. For example, on the 7th of June, there will be an information event to promote research exchanges between Germany and Japan. In addition, the University Library is hosting the exhibition Faszination Japan – Inspiration [Fascinating and inspiring Japan] from the 3rd to the 24th of June in which a variety of works by contemporary artists will document how Japanese culture and its specific aesthetics has influenced western art. The vernissage will be at 6 p.m. on the 3rd of June on Level C1 of the library.

For those interested in literature, on the 9th of June, the library is additionally organizing readings from the works of contemporary Japanese authors in German translation. It will also be possible to find out something about the Japanese language: short beginner courses in Japanese will be offered on Monday the 6th and Thursday the 9th of June.

The 7th of June is dedicated completely to sport: The team at University Sport Service Bielefeld will be giving live presentations of aikido, judo, kendo, and karate in the Main Hall. Spectators will not only see examples of contests but also be invited to join in themselves.

On the 8th of June, the Japan expert Hans-Konrad Rode will give a lecture on how Germans from all professions gave help and advice on building up the new Japan at the end of the nineteenth century.

The menus at the Mensa university canteen promise to be particularly delicious. Throughout the week, both the Mensa and the Cafeteria will be serving Japanese specialities.

The Japanese Week at Bielefeld University is part of the series of events entitled Japan-Wochen an deutschen Hochschulen [Japanese weeks at German institutes of higher education] organized by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information in the Internet, go to
www.uni-bielefeld.de/japanwoche