Who we are... The Association of African Students, University of Tsukuba is the umbrella body that brings together all African Students studying at the University of Tsukuba and affiliate institutions. It currently has a membership constituting more than 50 university students. Members include nationalities from Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
What we do... The Association is involved in various activities within and beyond the precincts of the University. Through advocacy and diplomacy, the association aims to promote understanding and viable links between the body of African Students and the rest of the University community.
Vision... To be a synergetic and creative force in promoting an excellent student society through which generations of formidable leaders will emerge to engender positive changes in the society and world at large.
You can view and download the AASUT constitution down below.
What we do... The Association is involved in various activities within and beyond the precincts of the University. Through advocacy and diplomacy, the association aims to promote understanding and viable links between the body of African Students and the rest of the University community.
Vision... To be a synergetic and creative force in promoting an excellent student society through which generations of formidable leaders will emerge to engender positive changes in the society and world at large.
You can view and download the AASUT constitution down below.
Mission Statement
To seek to inspire academic, research and moral excellence; foster cross- cultural understanding, and propel student members towards actualizing a great future. We encourage members to maximize their full potentials and live-up to their full responsibility to be a role model for the University of Tsukuba. Towards attaining an inclusive student-led organization, aimed at contributing to the network of current and future world leaders, we have set the following objectives:
- 1 To represent the interests and uphold a good image of the University of Tsukuba in the immediate and global communities.
- 2 To represent the interests of all African students at the University of Tsukuba, Japan to relevant stakeholders.
- 3 To encourage, unite and maintain relationships within and among African Students studying at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
- 4 To foster friendship and better understanding between Japanese students and various African nationalities enrolled at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
- 5 To promote the various cultures and traditions of African students enrolled at the University of Tsukuba, in Japan.
- 6 To promote Japanese culture in the home countries of the African students enrolled at tertiary institutions in Japan.
- 7 To enhance communication linkages as a means of promoting cross- cultural interaction among African Students in the University of Tsukuba.
- 8 To encourage exemplary academic performance, innovative research and moral excellence among members.
Our Agenda for a Vibrant African Students Network
Currently, our association is registered and recognized by the International Student Centre (ISC) and the Student Plaza, University of Tsukuba. In the past, our activities have been generally limited to get togethers and welcoming parties. We also note a few instances of representation and participation in the university student group events. However, henceforth with the stirring of a need to chart a new direction for the association, there is a wider recognition and involvement of most African students in a collective running of the association. For the first time in the history of the association, members who attended the end of year AASUT General Assembly in March 2016 voted for and elected a committee of people to take on the baton of leadership to steer the group and coordinate its activities for the next academic year. This came after another historical event for the association, which was the creation of the first AASUT constitution, setting the foundations upon which the association would operate.
The members of this year's executive committee 2016-2017 are:
Hanna Chouchane | PRESIDENT
Fredah Guantai | PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Watikum Sylvie | COMMUNICATION
Chrispin Manda | FINANCE
Herewith, I’d to like present to the agenda and structure that have been designed by the new executive committee to lead the association forward. This is an aggregation of outcome based on suggestions from members and several deliberations through executives meetings. The first formal executive committee meeting was held in April of this year, and attended by all four newly elected committee members. Having reflected on the past trends of the association, and having identified key areas in which an active association should thrive, the members of the committee have carefully considered and deliberated to propose a 7-points agenda as viable means to move the association to a higher level of relevance and impact. These include the following:
Membership and executive meetings- to foster the running of the association, we saw to the need to hold regular membership and executive meetings and therefore proposed a structural plan for two levels of meeting. Firstly, a meeting will once every month for the members of executive and secondly, a meeting will be held for all members at least once in every semester. The committee will have to decide the need and the order of meetings both for executive and membership meetings among other logistics.
Proper representation- the need for proper representation for African students’ community is a vital role that we have to prepare for and look forward to do within the university and Tsukuba city. Proper coordination and connectedness within the association will be a contributing factor to promote the image of our organization within and outside the Tsukuba University environment.
Expanding communication means- to foster in-group understanding, establishing useful links for academic, research and social activities while also promoting Africa’s image within and beyond Tsukuba community, we strongly advocate for a cooperate commitment to promote information sharing. Hence, we call out to everyone to support the cradle of effective communication. Some of the strategies that we have considered in fulfilling this inevitable goal are highlighted below:
• Developing a strong brand image for the association
• Maintaining and AASUT blog that members can contribute to on matters that concern the students and other
• Fostering public relations
• Setting up asocial media network and Alumni network (The latter is currently being executed through the University of Tsukuba's alumni network T-Net)
• Maintaining an up to date mailing list and establishing mail correspondence
Promoting research- since our primary purpose of being in the university is to fulfil an academic requirement, it is thus inevitable for us to support and encourage academic excellence and research innovations among members. Some of the means we identified is to create communication platforms to promote members’ research activities. We hope by strengthening our in- group communication networks, participation in relevant academic forums, we would be able to catalyze research ideas, and get important feedbacks from a broad audience in contributions and collaborations.
Welfare- for the purpose of building a stronger and mutual relationship within the association, we want to raise concerns about members’ welfare. To begin with, we are strategizing with a welfare system of ‘care and share’ wherein individual can find delight in meeting another person’s need through sharing of unused items, moral support to the troubled members among others. We have provided a Facebook platform for this under the the name of "AASUT WELFARE DAILY" which can be accessed by the members of the association and their families. Also we considered as important point the reception and welfare support for freshmen students. Some of the ways we will approach this is exemplified below:
• Transfer unused electrical appliances to those who needed them. This will be coordinated to encourage genuine request while avoiding any mix-ups.
• Establishing a link through the International Students Office for early contacts with the new students.
• Welcoming new African students and offering orientation tours of the campus and surrounding facilities.
• Creation of a leaflet with useful information relevant to life in Tsukuba during the first 3-6 months of residence.
Organization of events and activities- As part of our effort towards increasing the impact of the association among its members, within the University and our immediate community, there is a need to step up our representation and participation via the following activities:
• Organizing of group outing and exploration during holidays and vacations. This will feature visits to places of interest to foster understanding and interaction with the Japanese culture and communities.
• Participation in the Tsukuba University Festival
• Participation in the Tsukuba City Festival (2017)
• Organizing of academic and social events such as symposium to promote academic excellence and expand means of promoting Africa and Japan mutual developments.
On a final note, I hope that we may all work together to realize the future we desire for the associations. We are in a position to achieve a great deal if we come together in pooling in our potentials and work to build a strong and vibrant group. The future is bright!
Together, we can achieve better!
Hanna CHOUCHANE
President of AASUT 2016-2017
The members of this year's executive committee 2016-2017 are:
Hanna Chouchane | PRESIDENT
Fredah Guantai | PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Watikum Sylvie | COMMUNICATION
Chrispin Manda | FINANCE
Herewith, I’d to like present to the agenda and structure that have been designed by the new executive committee to lead the association forward. This is an aggregation of outcome based on suggestions from members and several deliberations through executives meetings. The first formal executive committee meeting was held in April of this year, and attended by all four newly elected committee members. Having reflected on the past trends of the association, and having identified key areas in which an active association should thrive, the members of the committee have carefully considered and deliberated to propose a 7-points agenda as viable means to move the association to a higher level of relevance and impact. These include the following:
Membership and executive meetings- to foster the running of the association, we saw to the need to hold regular membership and executive meetings and therefore proposed a structural plan for two levels of meeting. Firstly, a meeting will once every month for the members of executive and secondly, a meeting will be held for all members at least once in every semester. The committee will have to decide the need and the order of meetings both for executive and membership meetings among other logistics.
Proper representation- the need for proper representation for African students’ community is a vital role that we have to prepare for and look forward to do within the university and Tsukuba city. Proper coordination and connectedness within the association will be a contributing factor to promote the image of our organization within and outside the Tsukuba University environment.
Expanding communication means- to foster in-group understanding, establishing useful links for academic, research and social activities while also promoting Africa’s image within and beyond Tsukuba community, we strongly advocate for a cooperate commitment to promote information sharing. Hence, we call out to everyone to support the cradle of effective communication. Some of the strategies that we have considered in fulfilling this inevitable goal are highlighted below:
• Developing a strong brand image for the association
• Maintaining and AASUT blog that members can contribute to on matters that concern the students and other
• Fostering public relations
• Setting up asocial media network and Alumni network (The latter is currently being executed through the University of Tsukuba's alumni network T-Net)
• Maintaining an up to date mailing list and establishing mail correspondence
Promoting research- since our primary purpose of being in the university is to fulfil an academic requirement, it is thus inevitable for us to support and encourage academic excellence and research innovations among members. Some of the means we identified is to create communication platforms to promote members’ research activities. We hope by strengthening our in- group communication networks, participation in relevant academic forums, we would be able to catalyze research ideas, and get important feedbacks from a broad audience in contributions and collaborations.
Welfare- for the purpose of building a stronger and mutual relationship within the association, we want to raise concerns about members’ welfare. To begin with, we are strategizing with a welfare system of ‘care and share’ wherein individual can find delight in meeting another person’s need through sharing of unused items, moral support to the troubled members among others. We have provided a Facebook platform for this under the the name of "AASUT WELFARE DAILY" which can be accessed by the members of the association and their families. Also we considered as important point the reception and welfare support for freshmen students. Some of the ways we will approach this is exemplified below:
• Transfer unused electrical appliances to those who needed them. This will be coordinated to encourage genuine request while avoiding any mix-ups.
• Establishing a link through the International Students Office for early contacts with the new students.
• Welcoming new African students and offering orientation tours of the campus and surrounding facilities.
• Creation of a leaflet with useful information relevant to life in Tsukuba during the first 3-6 months of residence.
Organization of events and activities- As part of our effort towards increasing the impact of the association among its members, within the University and our immediate community, there is a need to step up our representation and participation via the following activities:
• Organizing of group outing and exploration during holidays and vacations. This will feature visits to places of interest to foster understanding and interaction with the Japanese culture and communities.
• Participation in the Tsukuba University Festival
• Participation in the Tsukuba City Festival (2017)
• Organizing of academic and social events such as symposium to promote academic excellence and expand means of promoting Africa and Japan mutual developments.
On a final note, I hope that we may all work together to realize the future we desire for the associations. We are in a position to achieve a great deal if we come together in pooling in our potentials and work to build a strong and vibrant group. The future is bright!
Together, we can achieve better!
Hanna CHOUCHANE
President of AASUT 2016-2017
Executive Committee 2016-2017
The AASUT Constitution |