1
July 2026 | Tokyo, Japan : In
a rare honour reflecting the growing depth, maturity, and strategic importance
of India–Japan relations, Professor C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of
O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of
Parliament, India, addressed a distinguished bipartisan gathering of Members of
the National Diet of Japan at the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Their
addresses highlighted the complementary roles of higher education and
parliamentary diplomacy in advancing one of Asia’s most important democratic
partnerships through research, innovation, academic collaboration, and
people-to-people engagement.
The
significance of the interaction was heightened by coinciding with the official
visit of the Prime Minister of Japan Ms
Sanae Takaichi to India and the India–Japan Annual Summit with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. As both governments continue to deepen their
Special Strategic and Global Partnership at the highest political level, the
discussions in Tokyo demonstrated that enduring bilateral relationships are
strengthened not only by governments but also by parliaments, universities,
scholars, students, industry, and civil society.
The
interaction was chaired by Mr. Fukushiro Nukaga, the 80th Speaker of
the House of Representatives of Japan, and brought together an exceptional and
bipartisan gathering of Members of the National Diet representing both the
House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The
meeting was attended by senior parliamentary leaders, former ministers, government
representatives, eminent diplomats, distinguished academics, policy experts,
and industry leaders from across Japan. The breadth of participation reflected
Japan’s strong bipartisan commitment to strengthening parliamentary dialogue,
educational cooperation, democratic engagement, innovation, and institutional
partnerships with India.
Professor
C. Raj Kumar spoke of the indispensable role of universities in shaping the
future of international relations. He observed that institutions of higher
learning today are far more than centres of education. They are global
platforms where ideas cross borders, innovation flourishes, research addresses
common challenges, and future leaders learn to work together across cultures
and nations.
“Asia’s
evolving geopolitical landscape demonstrates that the strongest international
partnerships are patiently built through sustained investments in education,
research, technology, human capital, institutional cooperation, and innovation.
India and Japan, he said, possess a unique opportunity to deepen their
relationship further by investing in universities, scientific collaboration,
entrepreneurship, academic mobility, and knowledge partnerships,” He said. He
called for a future in which Indian and Japanese universities work even more
closely together, researchers jointly address global challenges, students move
more freely between both countries, and governments, industry, and academia
collectively develop solutions for the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Such
investments, he argued, create relationships that are resilient because they
are founded not only on policy but also on people.
Highlighting
JGU’s own engagement with Japan, Professor Raj Kumar noted that the
University’s partnerships with 27 leading Japanese institutions and the
participation of nearly 200 students in study abroad programmes across Japan
reflect a sustained institutional commitment to building long-term academic
cooperation. These partnerships have strengthened student mobility, faculty
collaboration, joint research, innovation, and intercultural understanding,
demonstrating how universities can serve as enduring bridges between nations.
Professor
Raj Kumar observed that higher education has become one of the defining pillars
of contemporary India–Japan relations because universities cultivate trust,
mutual understanding, leadership, and lifelong friendships that strengthen
bilateral cooperation across generations.
Concluding
his address, Professor Raj Kumar remarked that if the 20th century
laid the foundations of trust between India and Japan, the 21st century must become one in which that trust
is transformed into a comprehensive partnership driven by knowledge,
technology, sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and shared democratic
values. Sharing the platform with Dr. Shashi Tharoor, he described the occasion
as a powerful affirmation of the complementary roles that higher education and
parliamentary diplomacy can play in advancing one of Asia’s most significant
strategic partnerships.
Dr.
Shashi Tharoor reflected on the equally important role of parliamentary
diplomacy and observed that diplomacy is not merely about negotiating interests
or responding to crises. At its finest, he said, diplomacy preserves
memory, reflects mutual respect, and inspires nations to imagine and build a
better future together.
Reflecting
on the centuries-old relationship between India and Japan, Dr. Tharoor said,
“The friendship between the two countries has been nurtured through Buddhism,
cultural exchange, democratic values, and deep civilisational respect. This
shared history, is not only a source of pride but also a responsibility. The
challenge before both nations is not to create a new friendship but to
continually renew and strengthen an enduring one through institutions capable
of serving future generations. While governments create strategic partnerships,
it is ultimately people who sustain them. The future of India–Japan relations
will depend as much upon the relationships built among students, scholars,
parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, artists, innovators, scientists, and citizens
as upon agreements signed by governments. These enduring human connections
transform strategic cooperation into lasting partnership.”
Members
of the National Diet spoke warmly of their longstanding engagement with India
and expressed admiration for India’s civilisational heritage, democratic
traditions, constitutional institutions, economic transformation, and expanding
global role. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening parliamentary
exchanges, educational partnerships, academic collaboration, scientific
research, innovation, and people-to-people ties between the two democracies.
The
discussions reflected a shared conviction that the future of India–Japan
relations will not be shaped solely by diplomacy, economics, or security
cooperation but equally by the strength of democratic institutions,
universities, research collaborations, cultural understanding, and the
opportunities created for young people to learn from one another.
At
a time when India and Japan are engaging at the highest political level to
shape the future of their Special Strategic and Global Partnership, the
interaction in Tokyo served as a timely reminder that governments alone cannot
build enduring international relationships. Universities, parliaments,
scholars, researchers, entrepreneurs, and civil society together provide the
institutional foundations that enable strategic partnerships to flourish across
generations.
The
addresses delivered by Professor C. Raj Kumar and Dr. Shashi Tharoor marked
another important milestone in the expanding relationship between India and
Japan. They reaffirmed the central role of democratic institutions, higher
education, research, innovation, and people-to-people engagement in advancing
peace, prosperity, sustainability, and stability across the Indo-Pacific and
beyond.
Distinguished
Participants
The
interaction was chaired by Mr. Fukushiro Nukaga, the 80th Speaker of
the House of Representatives of Japan, and brought together an exceptionally
distinguished and bipartisan gathering of Members of the National Diet of
Japan, senior parliamentary leaders, former ministers, government
representatives, policy experts, academics, and industry leaders.
They
included the Chairperson, Mr. Fukushiro Nukaga, 80th Speaker of the House of
Representatives of Japan
Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP), House of Representatives
Ms.
Toshiko Abe – Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology; Mr. Kiyoshi Odawara – Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs;
Mr. Hakubun Shimomura – Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science
and Technology; Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama – Director-General, Global South Strategy
Headquarters; Mr. Hisayuki Fujii – Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs;
Mr. Masahito Moriyama – Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science
and Technology; Mr. Tadamori Fujisawa – Member, House of Representatives.
The
House of Councillors representatives included:
Dr. Kuniko Inoguchi – Former Minister of State; Former Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary; Head of the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on
Disarmament;
Proxy
Representatives (House of Representatives) included Ms. Hina Iwasaki –
Representing Hon. Hina Iwasaki; Mr. Kentaro Uesugi – Representing Hon. Kentaro
Uesugi; Ms. Marina Nagata – Representing Hon. Marina Nagata.
From
the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP), House of Representatives included
Mr. Satoshi Asano.
Proxy
Representatives (House of Councillors)
included Mr. Takanori Kawai – Representing Hon. Takanori Kawai; Mr. Michiya
Haga – Representing Hon. Michiya Haga; Mr. Yoshihiko Yamada – Representing Hon.
Yoshihiko Yamada.
Centrist
Faction (Chūdō), House of Representatives: Mr. Junya Ogawa – Party Leader and Vice
Chairman (Representing Hon. Junya Ogawa)
Constitutional
Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), House of
Councillors: Ms. Ayaka Shiomura; Mr.
Shunichi Mizuoka – Party Leader and Vice Chairman; Ms. Masako Mori.
Japan
Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai); House of Councillors: Mr. Kenta Aoshima; Ms.
Yukiko Kada
Komeito,
House of Councillors: Mr. Masaaki Taniai, Proxy Representative; Ms. Toshiko
Takeya – Party Leader and Vice Chairman (Representing Hon. Toshiko Takeya)
Sanseito,
House of Representatives: Ms. Hitomi Aoki, Ms. Rina Yoshikawa.
Team
Mirai, House of Representatives: Mr. Noboru Usami
Independent
(Former NHK Party), House of Councillors: Mr. Kenichiro Saito
Senior
Parliamentary Leaders: Ms. Akiko Santo – Advisor and 32nd President
of the House of Councillors; Mr. Tetsuro Fukuyama – Vice President of the House
of Councillors
Government
Representative: Mr. Kosei Nomura – Deputy Minister and
Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Distinguished
Officials, Diplomats, Academics and Experts included:
Mr.
Mitsuo Ohashi – Chairman, World Federalist Movement of Japan; Former Chairman
of Keidanren and Showa Denko (now Resonac)
Mr.
Tadamichi Yamamoto – Former Special Representative of the United Nations
Secretary-General; Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General; Former
Ambassador to UNESCO; Member, Expert Advisory Body of the Japanese
Parliamentary Committee for World Federation
Ms.
Hirari Sato – Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Singers
Professor
Shiro Takahashi – Reitaku University; Former Advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe
Mr.
Shumei Matsuzaki – Executive, Freemason Lodge; Former Advisor to Hirofumi
Nakasone, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Takahiro Niwa – Special
Advisor to Dentsu
Mr.
Tamotsu Nakamura – Advisor to Hakuhodo
The
Organisers were Mr. Masakuni Tanimoto – Secretary-General, Japanese
Parliamentary Committee for World Federation; Chairperson, International
Committee for World Federation and the Members of the Secretariat – Japanese
Parliamentary Committee for World Federation