Moe Thant Syn Selected as Kyoto Prefecture Friendship Ambassador

On June 19, a ceremony was held at Kyoto Terssa of Kyoto Citizen’s Amenity Plaza to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of the Kyoto Prefectural Office. At the ceremony, Moe Thant Syn, a student from Myanmar enrolled in KUAS Faculty of Engineering, dressed in elegant traditional attire, was awarded a letter of appointment as one of the Kyoto Prefecture Friendship Ambassadors by Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki.

Kyoto Prefecture Friendship Ambassadors are required to have high Japanese language proficiency, excellent academic records and a strong desire to serve as a bridge connecting Kyoto Prefecture to other countries and regions around the world. This year, 13 of 31 international student applicants were appointed as ambassadors. The recognition of Syn’s ambition makes KUAS very proud. As a friendship ambassador, Syn will take on the task of contributing to the internationalization of Kyoto Prefecture through various duties such as exchange activities at municipalities, elementary schools and middle schools in Kyoto Prefecture and participation in exchange projects with the prefecture’s overseas friendship states and ministries.

On her Facebook page, Syn has been sharing information about studying in Japan, the appeal of Kyoto, Japanese ways of thinking and various other topics. Her message to the online audience quickly gained traction, and she has attracted more than 120,000 followers.

Comments from Syn

At the ceremony for the appointment of the Kyoto Prefecture Friendship Ambassadors, I was surprised at how many times Japanese people bow before receiving an award. After the ceremony, a senior ambassador taught me that an ambassador’s job is to promote Kyoto Prefecture around the world and advocate international and cross-cultural exchange. After hearing about what events are planned for the coming year, I hope that I will be able to share information in a planned and , effective manner. I will do my best to represent Kyoto University of Advanced Science as one of the Kyoto Prefecture Friendship Ambassadors.

(Ayumi Ogata, International Office)