Continuing cooperation in the field of peace education with the University of Sophia (Tokyo, Japan)

From October 20 to November 6, 2025, Professor Larisa Kasumagić-Kafedžić visited Japan as an invited lecturer to Sophia University in Tokyo. This visit marks the continuation of the successful, long-standing cooperation with Professor Taro Komatsu and the Department of Pedagogy at Sophia University.

At the invitation of Professor Taro Komatsu, Professor Kasumagić-Kafedžić gave a lecture to master’s students in the course on International Educational Development, led by Professor Taro Komatsu (Department of Education, Faculty of Human Sciences). As part of the Sophia University United Nations Week 2025, Professor Kasumagić-Kafedžić participated in the Symposium on Psychosocial Care for Children and Youth after Conflicts and Disasters: Peacebuilding Efforts through Creative Activities and International Exchange with a plenary presentation on the topic From Recovery to Peacebuilding through Peace Pedagogies, and through several addresses on panels that focused on the role of international cooperation and connecting students through various educational, research, and professional activities. The experiences of bringing students together through various courses and COIL sessions, led by Professor Kasumagić-Kafedžić and Professor Komatsu, were at the heart of the discussion in one of the panels.

In collaboration with the academic painter and the team member of the PEH, Muhamed Kafedžić, the professor led a workshop with undergraduate students titled Exploring Global Issues in Local Communities Through Peace Pedagogy and Collaborative Art: From Problems to Dialogue, from Canvas to Solutions, which aimed to encourage students, through various techniques and strategies, to depict current social issues that shape education in Japan and internationally. In the final part of the workshop, students visually presented possible solutions for creating a more inclusive and peaceful society, both in Japan and globally. The role of symbols, images, and visual representations of complex social, cultural, and political issues that create educational policies and practices worldwide was the underlying focus of the reflections in this workshop.

During this study visit, Professor Kasumagić-Kafedžić attended a meeting with Professor Miki Sugimura, the President of Sophia University, and the UNESCO Chair on Education for Human Dignity, Peace and Sustainability. This UNESCO Chair integrates all fundamental goals and educational principles of Sophia University. At the meeting, the importance of continuing cooperation was highlighted, along with the launch of new activities, exchange of experiences, and global initiatives that emphasize the importance of intercultural and peace education. The work of the Peace Education Hub of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, and the project Education for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cultivating Culture of Peace and Intercultural Understanding (2025-2027), currently being implemented with the UNESCO support, was presented in this meeting, and its potential for future collaborative initiatives was discussed.