A record number receive grants from the Watanabe Fund at the University of Iceland

Thirty-six students and academics from the University of Iceland and fifteen students and academics from Japanese universities have been awarded grants for diverse study and research. The total funding allocated this year is around ISK 35 million.  

The grant recipients, or their representatives, accepted the grants at a festive ceremony at the University’s Ceremonial Hall today. The fund’s founder, Toshizo Watanabe, could unfortunately not attend. Jón Atli Benediktsson, rector of the University of Iceland, was master of ceremony with Eiríkur Smári Sigurðsson, research director at the UI School of Humanities and chair of the board of the Watanabe Trust Fund They both addressed the ceremony as well as Geir H.  Haarde, former Prime Minister and ambassador and board member in the Watanabe Trust Fund, and a representative of the Japanese ambassador to Iceland, Tomoko Daimaru. They all urged the grant recipients to make the most of their stay and to be mindful of the opportunities that come with receiving the grant and spending time studying or conducting research at foreign universities. 

This is the fifteenth allocation from the fund established to foster academic links between Iceland and Japan. The fund was established in 2008. The initial capital was 3 million US dollars, and in 2018, Mr. Watanabe made a generous additional donation of 2 million US dollars to the fund.  The fund has supported hundreds of students and academics in recent years for studies and research both in Iceland and Japan. 

A call for applications was sent out at the beginning of the year, and a total of 64 applications were received for consideration. This year’s grantees are:

Undergraduate students awarded a grant for exchange studies in Japan

• Alexandra Inga Hildur Herbertsdóttir, BA student in Japanese language and culture to study at Seikei University.
• Alexandros Oskar Ioannou, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at International Christian University.
• Björn Falk Arnoldsson, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at Osaka Gakuin University.
• Dagmar Björk Bjarkadóttir, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at Seinan Gakuin University.
• Daníel Snær Halldórsson,BS Student in Computer Science to study at Kyoto Sangyo University.
• Egill Askur Eineborg, BS Student in Computer Science to study at Kyoto Sangyo University.
• Einar Haruka Árnason, BS Student in Business administration to study at Tokai University.
• Jade Brown, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at Osaka Gakuin University.
• Júlía Sif Jónsdóttir, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at Kansai Gaidai University.
• Katrín Ósk Albertsdóttir, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at Kansai Gaidai University.
• Kolbeinn Magnús Lárusson, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at International Christian University.
• María Kristinsdóttir, BS Student in Business administration for graduate studies at Kwansei Gakuin University.
• Ólafur Jökull Hallgrímsson, BA Student in Political Science to study at Sophia University.
• Ragnar Björn Bragason, BS Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, to study at Sophia University. 
• Ragnar Björn Ingvarsson, BS Student in Computer Science to study at Kyoto University.
• Tanja Rut Rúnarsdóttir, BS Student in Mathematics to study at Ritsumeikan University.
• Vigdís Elva Hermannsdóttir, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at Waseda University.
• Þórey Einarsdóttir, BA Student in Japanese language and culture to study at  Asia Pacific University.

Graduate students awarded a grant to study in Japan

• Ásthildur Margrét Jóhannsdóttir, PhD Student in Economics to study at Osaka University.
• Gunndís Ýr Finnbogadóttir, PhD student in Educational Sciences to study at RYOZO YPM & Aichi University.
• Hrefna Guðmundsdóttir, PhD student in Business Administration to study at Kyoto University.
• Kjartan Þorri Kristjánsson, Medical Student to study University of Fukui.
• Luca Protti, PhD student in Pharmaceutical Sciences, to study at ICONM Kawasaki.
• Yeonji Ghim, PhD student in History to study at Sophia University.

Japanese undergraduate student awarded a grant to study at the University of Iceland

• Ami Watase, BA Student in Asia Pacific Studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.
• Hanna Yoshida, BA Student in Arts and Sciences at International Christianity University.
• Kohki Yamada, BA Student in Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation at Kyushu University.
• Mashiho Kaneko, BA Student in Icelandic as a Second Language at the University of Iceland 
• Momoka Sawa, BA Student in Image Arts and Sciences at Ritsumeikan University. 
• Suzu Furukawa, BS Student in Industrial Engineering at the University of Iceland

Japanese graduate student awarded a grant to study at the University of Iceland

• Kazutaka Morita, MS Student in Statistics at the University of Iceland. 
• Mirei Ikushima, MS Student in Biology at the University of Iceland 
• Yu Yasuhira, MA Student in Anthropology at the University of Iceland

Academics from the University of Iceland receiving a grant for a research stay in Japan

• Adeel Akmal, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Business Administration, to visit NUCB Business School.
• Edita Tverijonaite, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, to visit Wakayama University.
• Elena Callegari, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Digital Humanities and Arts, to visit the University of Tokyo. 
• Eva Harðardóttir, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education and Diversity, to visit Tsuru University.
• Judith Trunschke, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, to visit Hokkaido University. 
• Kári Kristinsson, Professor at the Faculty of Business Administration, to visit Iwate University.
• Kristín Ingvarsdóttir, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Languages and Culture, to visit Hitotsubashi University. 
• Laura Malinauskaite, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Economics, to visit Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). 
• Megumi Nishida, Sessional Teacher in Japanese  Language and Culture, to visit Toyo University.
• Rosemary Philippa Cole, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Earth Sciences, to visit Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science Technology (JAMSTEC)
• Samuel Warren Scott, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Earth Sciences, to visit the Geological Survey of Japan (AIST). 
• Sigurður Guðjónsson, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Business Administration, to visit Iwate University.

Academics from Japanese universities receiving a  grant for a research stay at the University of Iceland

• Abdelrahman Zkria Ahmed, Associate Professor in Engineering Sciences at Kyushu University. 
• Akiko Harada, Associate Professor in Education at Tokai University.
• Gaku Kudo, Associate Professor in Botany at Hokkaido University. 
• Mariko Kanemitsu, Professor in Music Education at Yokohama National University. 
• Masahiro Saito, Professor in Intercultural and Teacher Education at Asahikawa City University. 
• Toshinari Kawada, Professor in Natural Product Chemistry at Kyoto Prefectural University.

The board of the Watanabe Trust Fund is Eiríkur Smári Sigurðarson, research director the UI School of Humanities and chair of the board, Toshizo "Tom" Watanabe, founder of the fund, and Geir H. Haarde, former Prime Minister and ambassador.

Strong Collaboration with Japanese Universities

The collaboration between the University of Iceland and Japanese universities has steadily grown in recent years, partly thanks to the Watanabe Trust Fund. Formal partnerships have been established with 20 universities and research institutions in Japan.

In the current academic year, 20 Japanese students are studying at the University of Iceland — fifteen independently and five as exchange students. At the same time, twelve students from the University of Iceland are studying in Japan. Additionally, around 70 students are enrolled in Japanese language studies at the University, reflecting the strong interest in the Japanese language and culture among Icelandic students.