Faculty of Letters

Research exchange with the Université de Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3

Through an exchange agreement with the Université de Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3, so far, two French researchers have come to Japan and presented their research findings at the Faculty of Letters. On February 28, 2008, at the Okayama University Faculty of Letters Conference Hall, Ms. Christine Levy gave a lecture entitled “French Perspectives on Present Day Japan.” Ms. Levy talked about why Murakami was such a success throughout the world.

Ms. Vivianne Duverge of the Université de Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3 “Lectures on Umewakamaru folklore.” (January 13, 2009)

Ms. Duverge gives talks about the reactions of French people to Umewakamaru folklore based on personal interviews she herself conducted.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　At Kurashiki (Ms. Duverge on right)

Student exchanges with the Université de Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3

Based on an exchange agreement with the Université de Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3, we have sent three exchange students from the Faculty of Letters, at the same number of students from Université de Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3 have come to our school for study.

Living in Japan

Welcome party for visiting students (October 2008)

Living in France

Student comment

My friends held a birthday party for me in December. It was a surprise, and I was deeply touched. It was a birthday I’ll never forget. We tried to tell them how nice Okayama was, and our friends in the picture all said that if they came to Japan they would come to Okayama. (In the back and person at most front are exchange students from the Faculty of Letters. The other male student is studying abroad on his own.)

Student comment

This photo was taken at a party of exchange students. As my language got better, I became able to communicate with students from other countries, and so this increased my chance to learn about not just France but also some of the neighboring countries. (On left is an exchange student from Okayama University.)

Student comment

Student comment: It was quite fun because pretty much everyone was basically kind. Besides, the food was delicious (the cafeteria was delicious). The mailman was someone I ran into occasionally, and he would give me rides. This kind of thing happens all the time, so this place was really great.

Club Activities

Study of murals at the main sanctuary at the Saint John
Monastery in Jašunja undertaken through an exchange agreement with the Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade

Saint John Monastery church in Jašunja, located in the outskirts of the southern Serbian town of Leskovac was built at the turn of the 16th century. The architecture serves as an example of Serbian post-Byzantine culture.

Since 2003, Suzuki Michitaka, associate professor of the Okayama University and Society and Culture Department’s graduate school, has conducted joint research on the murals together with Dr. Gojko Subotić, an emeritus professor at the University of Belgrade and presently a member of the Serbian Academy of Art and Science.

A scientific research grant covering a three-year period starting in 2004 was received. The task of removing restoration slayer done in 1902, which overlays the murals dating to 1524, was entrusted to associate professor Samardžić of the Belgrade University of Art. A research report is currently being prepared for publication.

Thanks to the restoration work, the 1902 layer was removed, exposing the original mural thought to have been painted in 1524, as shown in the photos below. The photos show the north mural in the apse of the church before and after restoration. Though the region was under the control of the Ottoman Turks at that time, it is a turn-of-the-16th century Serbian mural wherein the traditional level technique has not yet been lost. It can be compared with the murals of Serbian painter Nektarije of the same period, whose work is found in Supraśl, Poland, and it seems some aspects reappear in the artwork of contemporary Greek orthodox painters of the time.

In the fall of 2007, a photograph taken in front of the church, including Bishop Ilinej and fathers of Leskovac of the Niš bishopric. Also shown in the photo are joint researchers Dr. Gojko Subotić (second from the right in the upper row), associate instructor Samardžić (second from the left in the upper row), Suzuki (left of upper row), and researchers on the Japanese side, Prof. Kido Masako, of Kyoritsu Women’s University (left end of the first row).

Activities Undertaken Under the Exchange Agreementwith the Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade

With respect to Okayama University’s relationship to Serbia, our ties do not stop at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Letters. We have also concluded a cooperative arrangement with Novi Sad University on all levels of the university. On December 1, 2004, Ambassador Predrag Filipov of the Serbian Embassy paid a courtesy visit to former University President Kono Iichiro.

On April 4, 2007, Serbian television covered a piece on “The Orthodox Church in Japan.” Photo with the director Dragan Jokić and photographer Mladen Vusurović.

A class on the Serbo-Croation language held July 13, 2007. Igor Mijailović (Faculty of Letters) of Belgrade, and Nicola Simić (Environment Science and Technology Department) of Novi Sad University, national scholarship students from Serbia, were helping the class as part of the agreement.