This article was published in the Autumn 2024 issue of Litterae Populi. The full issue can be found here.
Dr. Chris Gosden
Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology, University of Oxford
I have been very honored to become a Hokkaido University Ambassador. As a specialist in archeology, the connection with Ainu Studies is an important one, as is the link with Archeology through my colleague Professor Hirofumi Kato, Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University. Through my involvement with Hokkaido University, I have gained a much deeper sense of Japanese culture and history. In the UK, Hokkaido University’s profile has been raised considerably through works with Ambassadors and Partners. We in turn have also learned and benefited a lot through this global cooperation.
I am currently finishing a book on global history entitled Humans: The First Seven Million Years. This attempts to give a sense of human variety and difference, but also a sense of the things we all share as humans. The most basic shared element, I argue, is our ability to cooperate. I have taken the opportunity to understand the long-term history of Japan and its surrounding regions in greater depth, which has been very satisfying.
My most memorable moment as a Hokkaido University Ambassador was visiting Hokkaido University; meeting colleagues and being able to give lectures. I was also able to visit the National Ainu Museum and various archeological sites.
There are a great range of research initiatives at Hokkaido University, many concerning global connections and forms of working together. The excavations on Rebun Island are also important, both for the training they allow for students and for the discoveries made there. In Archeology and Anthropology, Hokkaido University has established a global reputation, and I think this will certainly grow over the coming years.
Both Sapporo and Oxford are cities with universities in which the university community is important. On the other hand, the difference between the two cities is that Sapporo has better food than Oxford. I am very pleased to be a member of your community and hope this can continue.
*The HUAP system ran from 2016 to 2024. The program has been revised to Hokkaido University Global PR Ambassador (HUPRA).
This article was published in the Autumn 2024 issue of Litterae Populi. The full issue can be found here.