Japanese tourism students from Rikkyo University enjoy a UP campus tour

Tourism students from Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan were taken on a tour of the Hatfield Campus by two members of UP Campus Tours, Thando Mthimkulu and Danolien van den Berg, who are studying the Heritage and Cultural Tourism Honours degree.

The tour introduced the Japanese students to the history of UP, the university's collections and student life. The tour also showcased the Faculty of Humanities in its centenary year. 

The students attended a lecture on the history of South Africa presented by Professor Karen L. Harris, Head of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies. This is the second group of Japanese students to visit in 2019. In February, students from Sophia University in Tokyo also visited the Hatfield Campus. 

Rikkyo University was founded in 1897 and is one of the leading universities in Japan. The university pioneered tourism and hospitality studies in Japan, with lectures on these subjects starting in 1946. It is the only institution in the country to offer a PhD in Tourism studies. The university is seeking ways to develop exchange agreements with the University of Pretoria. The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at UP is also one of the few universities in South Africa that offers degrees in Heritage and Cultural Tourism up to doctoral level.

Both of these visits were organised through the Centre for Japanese Studies at UP.