The Watanabe Trust Fund at the University of Iceland awarded grants to seventeen students and scholars from the University of Iceland and Japanese universities for studies and research during the 2021-2022 academic year. The total amount awarded is 121,200 USD, or more than 15 million Icelandic Krona.
The Watanabe Trust Fund has supported mutual academic ties between Iceland and Japan for over a decade. The fund is based on a generous $5 million USD endowment gift from business entrepreneur Mr. Toshizo (Tom) Watanabe, which is one of the University of Iceland´s largest individual donations.
Applications for grants from the fund were advertised at the start of the year, and 26 applications were received, slightly fewer than in previous years, which can undoubtedly be attributed to the Covid-19 epidemic. Of these, 17 were selected to receive a grant, bringing the total number of recipients to over one hundred since the program's inception. The grant payment is conditional on the individual being able to travel between the countries, but due to the coronavirus epidemic, there have been severe travel restrictions.
Traditionally, an award ceremony was held at the University of Iceland in the presence of the fund's founder, Mr. Tozhizo Watanabe, but no ceremony was held this year due to the epidemic.
This year's grantees are:
University of Iceland students going to Japan to study:
- Halldóra Freygarðsdóttir
- Helga Björg Helgadóttir
- Hringur Árnason
- Margrét Gunnarsdóttir Kvaran
all undergraduate students in Japanese language and culture.
Scholars and graduate students from University of Iceland planning to study or conduct research in Japan:
- Dr. Baldur Þórhallsson, Professor of Political Science
- Stephanie Alice Matti, PhD student in anthropology
- Diego Ignacio Toro Vivanco, Master´s student in Earth sciences
- Vivian Marissa Sinnen, Master´s student in Earth sciences
- Yujie Tian, Master´s student in International Business.
Japanese students studying at the University of Iceland
- Ayaka Mori and Mika Yamada from Nagoya University
- Hikari Nakatani from Ritsumeikan
- Juri Kikuchi and Kazune Ishibashi from International Christian University
- Mashisho Kaneko from Waseda
- Ryo Yanamaka a prospective Master´s student at UI
- Yuki Minamisawa currently a Master´s student in Medieval studies at UI.
The current Board members are Dr. Fridrika Hardardottir, Director of the International Division at University of Iceland, chair, Mr. Toshizo Watanabe, founder of the Fund, and Dr. Kristín Ingvarsdóttir, Assistant Professor of contemporary Japanese studies at the University of Iceland.