JIMBARAN – Udayana University (Unud) officially received a diplomatic visit and the handover of a book grant from the Consulate General of Japan in Denpasar through the prestigious international program “Read Japan Project” in 2026. The warm handover ceremony took place in the Rector’s Guest Room, Udayana University Rectorate Building, Jimbaran Campus, Badung, on Friday (July 10, 2026).
In person, the Japanese Consul General in Denpasar, Miyakawa Katsutoshi, was present. He was welcomed by the Rector of Udayana University, Prof. Ir. I Ketut Sudarsana, S.T., Ph.D. The Rector was accompanied by the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, the Vice Rector for Student Affairs, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, the Head of the Udayana University Library, and relevant staff.
This high-value book grant program was initiated by the Nippon Foundation (Nippon Zaidan) under the leadership of Mr. Sasagawa, and is then donated and technically managed by the Tokyo Foundation. Through the diplomatic network of Japanese Embassies and Consulates General worldwide, the program targets promising universities deemed capable of optimally utilizing this global literature. Based on recommendations from the Consulate General of Japan in Denpasar, Udayana University was selected as the most suitable institution, resulting in Unud successfully curating and selecting 110 selected academic titles.
The Rector of Udayana University, Prof. I Ketut Sudarsana, in his remarks expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude to the Consulate General of Japan, the Tokyo Foundation, and the Nippon Foundation for their significant contributions to the Unud academic community. The Rector emphasized the crucial importance of the availability of quality library materials for the university, as an official higher education institution, in supporting research and science.
“Thank you very much for this friendship and valuable contribution through the book donation. References like this are very important to us at Udayana University as a home of education. The presence of these books will not only increase students’ interest in reading but also make it easier for them to obtain information from much better scientific sources. We hope this positive collaboration will not stop here but can be expanded to various other academic sectors in the future,” said the Rector.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Consul General in Denpasar, Miyakawa Katsutoshi, explained that the global project, titled the Read Japan Project, has been running since 2008 with the mission of introducing various aspects of Japan and broadening students’ international horizons through carefully curated scientific literature. The Consul General hopes that the 110 books handed over will be utilized and read well by all Udayana University students. Miyakawa Katsutoshi also opened the opportunity for Udayana University to resubmit recommendations for further book grants in the coming years, once the current collection has been well-utilized by readers in the library.
The handover ceremony was marked by the signing and presentation of an official handover certificate from the Japanese Consulate General to the Rector of Udayana University. As a sign of respect and a strong bond of cooperation, the Rector of Udayana University also presented the official Udayana University plaque directly to representatives of the Japanese Consulate General.
The handover ceremony concluded with a group photo session between university leaders and the Japanese Consulate General’s diplomatic team, followed by a direct inspection of the newly donated book collection at the Udayana University Library. This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral relations in education between Indonesia and Japan, particularly within Udayana University.