Vesna Janevska in Japan: possibility of Japanese-backed centres of excellence for North Macedonia
Janevska met senior Japanese officials, university leaders and representatives of JETRO and JICA to explore support and partnerships for North Macedonia.
Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska is on an official visit to Japan where she held talks with senior education, science and state officials to strengthen bilateral cooperation. One of the issues discussed was the possibility of Japanese support to establish centres of excellence in North Macedonia.
In a meeting with the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Yoshihiro Seki, the two sides exchanged experiences on how their education systems operate and on measures to stimulate research activity. Janevska thanked Japan for its existing support, notably scholarships for Macedonian students and assistance with technical modernization and school equipment.
Janevska also met Mizue Shiomi, Director General of Japan’s National Institute for Educational Policy, to discuss ways to raise teaching quality, foster creative and critical thinking among pupils, and preparations for international PISA testing, where Japan traditionally records high results.
Partnership projects and institutional links
The minister’s programme included a meeting with parliamentary deputy-minister for foreign affairs Akiko Ikuina. Ikuina announced that the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will continue seeking new opportunities for cooperation.
Janevska visited the University of Tokyo and spoke with the institution’s president, Teruo Fujii, about deepening collaboration with universities in North Macedonia. Proposed areas of cooperation include joint participation in the Horizon Europe programme, exchanges of professors and students, and the creation of new academic partnerships.
The visit also featured meetings at the Macedonian embassy in Tokyo. There, Janevska and acting ambassador Kristina Stojchevska met former Japanese ambassador to North Macedonia Kazuya Otsuka, as well as Macedonian students and Japanese high‑school pupils who are studying the Macedonian language.
Photo: press material from the event
