At the invitation of the Japanese Parliamentary Committee of the World Federation, the founding Vice-Chancellor of OP Jindal Global University (JGU), Professor (Dr) C Raj Kumar addressed a caucus of over 20 distinguished Members of the Japanese Parliament (National Diet), which also included the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Government of Japan, Masahito Moriyama.

Prof Raj Kumar is also the first Indian Vice-Chancellor to be invited to speak at the Japanese Parliament to address the distinguished MPs and public officials of the Government of Japan.

The Japanese Parliamentary Committee of the World Federation had invited Prof Kumar to share his views on issues relating to India’s national education policy, bilateral relations, development agenda and global governance.

Prof Kumar, delivered a speech on the Indo-Japan relationship, framing it as a cornerstone for collective progress and prosperity. “The India-Japan relationship is undoubtedly the most important and critical relationship in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

Prof Kumar articulated key points, encapsulating the historical, cultural, economic, political and strategic dimensions of the bilateral ties between India and Japan.

“We have deep-rooted ties between India and Japan, stemming from shared civilisational values and cultural heritage, including the profound influence of Buddhism as a religion and philosophy in both the countries,” he said. Further, he made several other points regarding India's historical support for Japan's political development post-World War II; the alignment of democratic principles; the Indo-Pacific Strategic Construct and more.

In conclusion, Prof Kumar reiterated the transformative potential of Indo-Japanese relations that need to be built on the expansion of educational partnerships between universities in both the countries.

He expressed optimism about the future trajectory of Indo-Japanese collaboration in higher education, envisioning a landscape defined by excellence in research and scholarship, and the creation the of knowledge through leadership in promoting frugal innovation.