Desk Report: Director General of the Japan Foundation in South Asia, Mr. Sato Koji, paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of University of Dhaka (DU), Prof. Dr. A. B. M. Obaidul Islam, at his office on Sunday.Mr. Koji was accompanied by Prof. Dr. Srabani Roy Choudhury, President of the Japan Studies Association in South Asia (JSASA), and Prof. Dr. Debendra Sahu of O.P. Jindal Global University, India.Among others present at the meeting were Chairman of DU’s Japanese Studies Department Prof. Dr. Md Jahangir Alam, Secretary General of JSASA Prof. Dr. Abdullah-Al-Mamun, and several faculty members.During the meeting, the DU Vice-Chancellor stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Dhaka University and universities in Japan through enhanced educational cooperation and cultural exchange programs. He also underscored the need for expanding joint academic and research initiatives between DU and Japanese institutions.Mr. Koji and his delegation are currently visiting Bangladesh to attend a two-day Young Scholar Conference titled “Japan’s Soft Diplomacy in South Asia: Change and Continuity.” The conference is jointly organized by JSASA and the Department of Japanese Studies (DJS) of Dhaka University, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation.The conference is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am on March 30, 2026, at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban. A total of 40 young scholars from Bangladesh, Japan, China, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are expected to participate in the event.