🔴Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai × The University of Osaka！🔵 Faculty and students of the Portuguese major in the School of Foreign Studies invited to the National Day of Mozambique

On June 16th, the National Day of Mozambique was held at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. The ceremony began with greetings from Prime Minister Benvinda Levi and State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yuichiro Koga, followed by music and dance performances on the theme of the history and independence of Mozambique. Following a speech in Portuguese by the emcee José Pires about Mozambique's history, various singers and dancers performed music and dance from across Mozambique, including the southern region of Marrabenta, accompanied by the rich sounds of the backing band. The pavilion was filled with invited guests and the public captivated by the music, and everyone enjoyed the culture of Mozambique, combining African, Latin, indigenous languages and Portuguese.

Shintaro Torigoe, lecturer in the Department of Foreign Studies in the Graduate School of Humanities and Portuguese major in the School of Foreign Studies, and 38 undergraduate students were invited to the ceremony. This event was made a reality thanks to the generosity of Alberto Paulo, Mozambique’s Ambassador-designate to Japan, who participated in the event "50th Anniversary of the Independence of Portuguese-Speaking African Countries," hosted by the Portuguese language majors in the School of Foreign Studies, held on May 31st on the Minoh Campus of the University of Osaka.

Related Links (in Japanese):
https://www.sfs.osaka-u.ac.jp/news/post_189.html
https://www.sfs.osaka-u.ac.jp/news/50_2.html

The participating undergraduate students gave the following feedback:

"They complimented me on the capulana (traditional clothing) I was wearing; we talked in Portuguese and even took a short video together at the end. I was able to have a firsthand experience of the wonderful Mozambique culture and the vibrance of the local people, at the same time feeling the achievement of my studies up to now. So, it was a memorable and priceless experience!" (Haruto Uemura, 2nd year Portuguese major, School of Foreign Studies)

“Unlike other schools, the School of Foreign Studies often focuses on memorizing grammar and vocabulary, just like the English classes in high school, which at times made me wonder why I was studying Portuguese. However, thanks to the valuable opportunity today, I think I have come to see what my steady efforts have been for. I also feel I have gained a stronger motivation, passion, and practical understanding of the Portuguese language.” (Rina Suzuki, 2nd year Portuguese major, School of Foreign Studies)

In the evening, a dinner reception hosted by the Mozambican government was held at the Guest House, attended by Executive Vice President in charge of Public Relations and Expo 2025 Keiko Takemura and Lecturer Shintaro Torigoe. Executive Vice President Takemura discussed with Prime Minister Levy, exchanging views on the promotion of study abroad programs in Mozambique for Portuguese language majors and the possibility of cooperation between the University of Osaka and Mozambique in the field of AI and robotics, which are the theme of Mozambique at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. The reception was attended by Matilde Muocha, Minister of Education and Culture of Mozambique; José Matsinha, Director of the Directorate of Asia and Oceania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique; and many ambassadors from Portuguese-speaking countries and southern African countries, with whom Executive Vice President Takemura and Lecturer Torigoe successfully deepened the friendships.

Click here for information about Expo 2025-related events by the University of Osaka! (link in Japanese)

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