IAESTE Review Cover 01

Anniversary
Congratulations
IAESTE Portugal -
Celebrating its Golden Jubilee
In 1954 Portugal was elected as an Associate
member of IAESTE at the General Conference
in Vienna, where the founding National
Committee was represented by the late
Professor Correia de Barros. Since that date it
has been possible for Portugal to exchange
every year, without any interruption, students
of higher education for training abroad through
IAESTE. Professor Bernardo Herold was National
Secretary from 1965 to 2003. For the first 30
years from 1954, IAESTE was, together with
AIESEC, the only international exchange
programme open to university students from
Portugal. Before Portugal joined the European
Community, and before becoming a democratic
state, this was a unique opportunity for
Portuguese students to spend a period of
training in a foreign country during their
undergraduate studies. In spite of having
involved only a small number of students
(between 20 and 60) every year, the
consequences of the existence of this
programme were enormous. Many of the
students, who had been selected among many
IAESTE Japan : 40th Anniversary Year
It was in the Spring of 1963 that the
Engineering Student Friendship Association of
the University of Tokyo received an official letter
of invitation to the IAESTE organisation from
the Headquarters of IAESTE International in
Bonn. Through consultation with the Ministry
of Education, four leading universities, namely
the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of
Technology, the Waseda and Keio Universities in
the Tokyo Area formed the core of IAESTE Japan,
and Japan was accepted as an Associate member
at the Lucerne GC in January 1964. Three more
universities in the Osaka Area also joined - the
Osaka, Kyoto, and Doshisha Universities. Since
1965 these seven universities have played an
important role as core institutions.
Japan reached its 40th Anniversary in 2004. By
January 2004 we had successfully exchanged
5,500 students with the help of 18 local
universities and more than 400 companies.
candidates based solely on academic merit and
language skills, became in their later life key
figures in industry and public service. They all
agree that training abroad with IAESTE
dramatically changed their outlook on science,
engineering and culture at large, and thus
helped them to contribute successfully towards
the modernisation of the country. A more
detailed history of IAESTE Portugal can be
found in the IAESTE Annual Review 2003,
pages 17 to 18.
“Bernardo’s dedication to IAESTE will be
unsurpassable. I doubt that I will be able to
dedicate as many years as he did. I can only
promise to do the best I can, as National
Secretary.
IAESTE Portugal still has a long way to go.
There are many things that need to be done,
but with willingness, our objectives will be met.
I am honoured to be part of this international
family that is so kind to receive new members
in such a warm way.”
IAESTE Japan was registered as a legal body in
the Ministry of Education in 1982. In the
beginning the management of IAESTE activities
was through students’ efforts, which were
supported by distinguished executives such as
Masaru Ibuka, Soichiro Honda and Konosuke
Matushita to name but a few. They were the
driving force of Japanese industries as founders
of SONY, HONDA, and PANASONIC companies
respectively.
Based on the energetic contribution of
consecutive National Secretaries IAESTE Japan
has been kept in good shape up to today. The
National Committee is very thankful to Messrs.
K.Ozawa, H.Ishiwatari, Y.Yasoshima, K.Ohta,
D.Takahashi, H.Fujimura, H.Ikeda, M.Hirano,
T.Hosoda, M.Tanaka, K.Izawa, T.Kunio, S.Murai,
Y.Morita, O.Nittono, and S.Fukuda.
Professor Bernardo Herold
National Secretary IAESTE
Portugal 1965-2003
Mrs Silvia Santos is now
the new National
Secretary of IAESTE
Portugal.
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