Inaugural Meeting of the Uzbekistan Branch
On Thursday, March 11, 2010, the Uzbekistan Branch the ninth overseas branch of the Nagoya University Alumni Association (NUAL) held its inaugural meeting on the second floor of the International Business Center in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. This event coincided with the opening ceremony of the Global 30 Nagoya University Uzbekistan Office, located on seventh floor of the International Business Center. Nagoya University has over sixty alumni in Uzbekistan. Representing Nagoya University at this event were University President Hamaguchi, Trustee Saburi, University Vice-President Watanabe, Dean of the Graduate School of Law Sugiura, among others, while the Head of NUAL Cooperation Committee, Associate Professor Nakano, and I, Yoshito Itoh, attended in the name of NUAL. It was early spring in Tashkent, and we experienced a single day of snow, while the white apricot flowers and yellow forsythia flowers were in full bloom during our stay.
The inaugural meeting was conducted without interpretation since the Uzbekistani members all understood Japanese. The register of alumni that was prepared for the ceremony listed over sixty Uzbekistanis having studied abroad at Nagoya University, ten of whom were present at the ceremony. Participants from Nagoya University brought the number of attendees to fifty. Bakhodir Marganov, director, Legal Department of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, was named branch chairperson.
With Associate Professor Nakano acting as master of ceremonies, Dr. Hamaguchi gave an address stating his expectations that the Uzbekistan Branch will make a broad array of contributions, providing moral support to graduates as well as encouraging exchanges among Asian countries.
Next, I myself, as NUAL Executive Coordinator, transmitted NUAL President Toyoda's congratulations, gave an account of NUAL's establishment and principles, and expressed my wish that this branch become a base for Nagoya University's internationalization. I also announced that as the alumni register will become accessible through the Internet from April, members will henceforth be asked to modify their address online. Although only the branch chairperson was issued a NUAL member's card for the ceremony, I informed the assembly that membership cards will be issued to everyone once the Uzbekistan Branch's formal register of members has been received.
After the speeches, Dr. Hamaguchi presented the Uzbekistan Branch banner, the official NUAL branch certificate, and a NUAL member's card to the branch chairperson, Bakhodir Merganov. Bakhodir then addressed the assembly, expressing the alumni's happiness at the founding of the Uzbekistan Branch and their desire to cooperate with Nagoya University and NUAL.
Following the inaugural meeting, a commemorative photograph was taken with the university president and branch banner surrounded by alumni. Participants seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the inaugural ceremony.
The meeting was followed by a reception hosted by Nagoya University at which the branch banner was displayed and everyone was able to interact in a relaxed atmosphere.
President Hamaguchi's opening address |
NUAL Executive Coordinator giving a speech |
Presentation of the Uzbekistan Branch banner |
The branch chairperson addressing the assembly |
Meeting room |
Commemorative photograph |
Tashkent International Business Center |
View of the hotel where the reception was held |
Tashkent City |
Apricot flowers |
The Alisher Navoi Theater, built by Japanese captives after WWII |
Lime-washed trees on the roadside |
Opening ceremony of the Nagoya University Uzbekistan Office |
Office |