There is a young Syrian woman in Gaziantep, Turkey, who for months has been staying up all night to attend virtual university courses and to study Japanese at International Christian University (ICU).
A recipient of a scholarship for Syrian refugees called the Syrian Scholars Initiative, she matriculated at ICU in April, but is banned from traveling to Japan because of COVID-19 restrictions. Thousands of international students, many of whom are vaccinated, are in the same situation. Meanwhile, a few days ago it was reported that VIPs will be allowed into Japan to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. This is a regrettable double standard. The Japanese government should immediately start processing new international student visas.
Having spent a large part of my youth in Japan, my affection for Japan and for the Japanese people runs deep. Since 2015, I have had the privilege of serving as the Executive Director of the Japan ICU Foundation, a nonprofit organization in New York City that is committed to working with ICU to nurture global citizens.