The "LAÇOS Japan-Brazil Co-creation Program: Learning about Social Issues and the Future in São Paulo," planned by Associate Professor Shuichiro Masukata of the Faculty of Law, has been selected for Keio University's FY2027 "Design the Future Fund Program."
In this program, students selected from across various faculties will visit São Paulo, Brazil, in August 2027. Through interactions with local universities, the Nikkei community, corporations, and judicial institutions, they will learn about social issues from diverse perspectives, including culture, society, politics, and economy.
"LAÇOS" means "bonds" in Portuguese. The program aims for students to formulate their own questions through dialogue with local people, conduct comparisons and analyses, and share their findings with society.
Keio University has long-standing academic ties with the University of São Paulo. We intend for this program to be a step toward expanding these relationships into student-level exchanges and further developing academic and student exchange between Japan and Brazil.
Due to recent price hikes and rising travel costs, opportunities for students to visit Latin America are limited. Another objective of this program is to provide opportunities for learning and exchange that can only be experienced locally, while taking financial burdens into consideration.
Details regarding student recruitment, participation requirements, and the schedule will be announced on the Faculty of Law and Graduate School of Law websites as soon as they are finalized.
Program Overview
Program Name: LAÇOS Japan-Brazil Co-creation Program: Learning about Social Issues and the Future in São Paulo
Planner/Representative: Shuichiro Masukata (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University)
Scheduled Implementation: August 2027
Destination: São Paulo, Brazil
Target: Keio University undergraduate students (recruitment planned across all faculties)
Grant: FY2027 Design the Future Fund Program