On 25 July, a list of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendations for Fiscal Year 2013 was made public, and among those to receive this award was Professor Rien T. SEGERS from the Netherlands. Professor Segers is the former Director of the Center for Japanese Studies, at the University of Groningen, and currently Professor of Asian Business Strategy, International Business School of Hanze University of Applied Science in Groningen.

Professor Segers studied the culture and corporate identity of Japan and its people and conducted comparative research on the cultures of other countries at the University of Tokyo and Stanford University in the U.S.A. since 1976. Author of several books on Japan, Professor Segers was often consulted by the media to provide information on Japan.　Professor Segers continues to act as a consultant for many European and Japanese enterprises.

Professor Segers was instrumental in establishing the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Groningen in 2000, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Japan-Dutch relations in that year and was Director of the Center from 2000 to 2012.

These and other activities were significant contributing factors in awarding Professor Segers this Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation. The Embassy of Japan congratulates Professor Segers on receiving this prestigious award. 

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