Middle East and Africa Region
Learning about the Middle East and Africa Region by Understanding the Locality and
For those of us studying at Japanese universities, we commonly comprehend global phenomena through the academic systems developed in Western modernity. However, in the future world where the non-Western world expands its global presence, obtaining perspectives that relativize Western views will be exceedingly important. In this sense, Middle East and African Area Studies can find many themes to critically consider Western modern values and systems, from experiences of non-Western-origin religions such as Islam to modern Western imperialism and racialism. Through Middle Eastern and African Area Studies, perspectives that are unavoidable for those aspiring to be global citizen are considered, such as how to think about Islam being the focus of attention in domestic political society, international conflicts, and even refugee issues, as well as critically approaching the problem of “helping” the weak in the Middle East and Africa.
Sophia University Middle East and Africa Studies
Sophia University is actively implementing various initiatives to promote understanding and deepen cooperation with the Middle East and Africa. In the academic field, the Sophia University Institute for Islamic Area Studies, launched in 2022, serves as a permanent research center. Faculty members of the FGS belong as full members and conduct research at the center. We have held “Africa Weeks” every May since 2017 as a cultural event where various symposiums and student-planned activities are conducted. In 2022, students of the FGS also organized “Islam Week” to enhance understanding of the lives of Muslims. Furthermore, there is a “Tokyo Halal Deli & Cafe” on campus, where you can enjoy Halal dishes supervised by Muslim chefs.
Institute of Islamic Area Studies, Sophia University
The Institute of Islamic Area Studies, Sophia University was established in 2022 as a permanent research department. The institute collaborates with many other research institutes, including the permanent research department, Institute of Asian Cultural Studies. The institute engages in the comprehensive development of research and education activities by working alongside the Faculty of Global Studies, the Faculty of Foreign Studies, and the Graduate Program in Area Studies, Graduate School of Global Studies.
Knowing the Local Area, Knowing the Language
No matter the country or region being studied, knowing the language is crucial to advancing Area Studies. In foreign languages, there are many words and phrases that do not have one-to-one equivalence with Japanese. However, knowing those words leads to understanding the culture, behavior, and thought patterns of the people in that country or region. At Sophia University, many language courses such as Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Swahili, and Indonesian are available to deeply understand the Middle Eastern and African regions/Muslim areas. “Knowing the local area” is “knowing the language”. We encourage pursuing research in Middle East and African Area Studies alongside language studies.
Jesuit Visiting Faculty
Sophia University accepts Jesuit priests as visiting professors. In the autumn semester
of 2022, Dr. Ghislain Tshikendwa from the University of Djuma in the Democratic
Republic of Congo came to Japan and is now conducting classes such as “Africa’s
Development Aid” and “Anthropology of Sufferings and Hopes in Africa” (both taught in
English) at the Faculty of Global Studies.
