Message from ISOMATA Akio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United Arab Emirates

     In early August I attended in Abu Dhabi a reporting session by the UAE university students who participated in the internship program the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) organized in cooperation with Japanese firms for the year 2023. 13 Emirati university students joined this year’s program as interns, spending a total of 8 weeks at a Japanese firm respectively either in Japan, in the UAE or in both countries. I learned from their reporting that they had learned a lot through this program beyond the immediate job training they were engaged in, from work ethics embedded in the Japanese corporate culture to a variety of new experiences staying in Japan. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all those involved in this important endeavor, including Japanese firms, universities and colleges in the UAE and JICE.
 
     We often say in Japan “It takes ten years to nurture a tree, but a hundred years to train a man,” or ”Education is the foundation upon which a nation is built.” Indeed, it takes a long time to develop human resources, but we cannot spare the effort in this endeavor as the people is the foundation of a county’s existence and development. Japan has long been a staunch advocate of education and human resource development (HRD) and faithfully put the belief into action in its policy measures over the decades, or even centuries! The World Bank report of 1993, titled ‘The East Asian Miracle,’ attributes the post-WWII reconstruction and development of Japan through 1960s, more to investment in human capital, than to investment in physical capital such as infrastructure. In the subsequent development of the country, Japan has been providing official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries, and the HRD has always been and continues to be an indispensable component of Japan’s ODA.

     Last month Prime Minister Kishida of Japan paid an official visit to the UAE, and had a bilateral summit meeting with HH the President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss a wide range of bilateral and other issues of common interest. Japan firmly supports the ongoing efforts of the UAE government for the empowerment and capacity-building of Emirati youngsters as the UAE continues to pursue diversification of its economy and heads for a decarbonized society. At a juncture when the two countries are rigorously trying to strengthen its cooperative relationship in various fields beyond the traditional oil and gas cooperation, the two leaders are in full agreement on expanding our cooperation in the field of education.
 
     I hope all the Emirati students who participated in the internship program will cherish and make the best use of what they learned there, either in their future professional career, in the promotion of Japan-UAE relations, or in whatever way possible. I also hope that the interns will share the valuable experience acquired through participation in the program with their circles of friends to cultivate wider interest in the program among  promising young Emiratis. The HRD needs constant efforts by many for a long time. It may not necessarily produce immediate results. We need, however, to continue to work on it with the support of resources from both the government and private sectors of the UAE and Japan for the two countries’ brighter future. I ask for your understanding and support.