About Us
About Us
The first Japanese studies centre at Babeș-Bolyai University, founded in 2008 alongside the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures of the Faculty of Letters.
The Sembazuru Centre for Japanese Studies
The Sembazuru Centre for Japanese Studies [SCJS], the first centre of its kind at Babeș-Bolyai University, was founded together with the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures in 2008, when the Japanese Language and Literature major was added to the curricula of the Faculty of Letters (following Decision no. 455 of 11 January 2008 and Decision no. 23,057 of 28 January 2008, approved by the Administrative Council of Babeș-Bolyai University).
Creating the SCJS is an implicit step towards recognising the research activity in this field carried out by members of the Department, and it plays a vital role in consolidating Babeș-Bolyai University’s school of Japanese studies. During this time, the Sembazuru Centre for Japanese Studies has supported and completed the analytical curriculum of the Japanese Language and Literature major, initiating various actions to broaden and consolidate relationships with universities and diverse organisations from Japan.
- Japanese Studies Library
- Book and periodical collection
- Open access for students
- Digital and online resources
- Haiku and Japanese language circle
- Specialised teaching staff
- International collaborations
- Active volunteers and students
Sembazuru — 千羽鶴
Sembazuru (1,000 cranes), a centuries-old motif in Japan, was originally a stylised model representing a flock of cranes in flight. An emblematic figure, cherished for the way it flies or how it dances, the crane (tsuru) is believed to be a noble bird, descending from the world of the gods. A migratory bird, the crane has, through its cyclical return, gained in Japanese spirituality the symbolism of regeneration, which is why it is associated with an endless spring…
Field of expertise
Japanese studies: cultural semiotics and Japanese poetics, Japanese language and literature
Objectives
- Creating a team of researchers (teaching staff, master's students, doctoral students) in the field of Japanese studies
- Designing research projects that contribute to the foundation of a school of Japanese studies at our university
- Publishing research results in specialised journals (CNCSAS-rated, BDI- or ISI-indexed) and in individual or collective volumes
- Completing the analytical curriculum of the Japanese Language and Literature major through extracurricular activities: workshops, lectures, conferences and round tables, with the help of renowned specialists, in order to offer students a direct and authentic connection with the Japanese cultural and academic world
- Promoting the Japanese language, literature and culture through various collaborations within educational and cultural programmes for the general public, targeting different age groups or social categories (pupils, university students, teachers, various associations)
- Developing relationships with Japanese universities and organisations
- Providing, through donations, the book fund for the Japanese Studies Library
