2015 Yonsei-Keio-Rikkyo-Fudan Leadership Forum Held

From August 3 to 8, the Yonsei East-West Research Center sponsored the student-run Yonsei-Keio-Rikkyo-Fudan (YKRF) Leadership Forum. YKRF was established in 2002 with the spirit of partnership demonstrated by Korea and Japan who co-hosted that year’s World Cup. Since then, students from Yonsei, Japan’s Keio University and Rikkyo University, and China’s Fudan University have participated in a number of academic and cultural exchanges. The overriding aims of YKRF are to increase knowledge of Northeast Asian political issues, develop leadership skills, promote mutual understanding, and build long-lasting networks. 

This year’s YKRF marked the forum’s fourteenth installment, and the theme was “Collective Intelligence between Three Neighbors.” Throughout the many lectures and discussion sessions, participants debated how China, Japan, and Korea could best achieve mutual development using their “collective intelligence.” Fifteen students and faculty members from Yonsei participated, along with eight from Keio and Rikkyo, and nine from Fudan.

In the words of Pengfan Fei, a business administration major from Fudan University, “I was able to meet many kind and cool people while participating in the forum.” Satoru Tsuji, a political science student from Keio University also expressed his satisfaction, saying: “I was able to expand my understanding of East Asia and make friends here.” Next year, the YKRF Leadership Forum will be held at Keio University.