Increasing number of universities in Japan are teaching English, while there is renewed focus on learning Japanese in India. The aim is to encourage Indian students to opt for higher studies in Japan, by bridging the language barrier, TAGA Masayuki, Consul General of Japan in Chennai, said here on Thursday.

The Ministry of Education and Culture of Japan is extending scholarships to students, while government-to-government initiatives too are under way, he added. He was speaking on the sidelines of a talk on ‘Evolving Japan-India Relations in the 21st Century’, organised here by city-based think tank Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) on Thursday.

On why not many Indians are emigrating to Japan, he said there were many young Indian businessmen there, including those who went on to become members of local bodies.

On how equipped the QUAD grouping is to combat the perils posed by climate change, Mr. Masayuki said working groups would take ahead the QUAD Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) to bring about a net-zero economy and society.

Efforts are already on to enhance cooperation in decarbonising shipping and port sectors, so also to enhance and accelerate clean energy transition through knowledge-sharing on clean hydrogen, clean ammonia, clean energy supply chain, and carbon recycling. Emphasis must also be laid on promoting public transport modes like metro and high-speed trains to lessen reliance on fossil fuels, he added.

He observed that the lack of research on India in Japan and vice versa needs to be addressed, and reiterated the need for deepening engagement to tackle a threat like China.

This article was published in The Hindu on 26th May, 2022. Click here to read.

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