On 3 March 2026, members of the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies, Prof. Anna Andreeva and Prof. Andreas Niehaus, will deliver two lectures—“Japanese–Belgian/Ghent Relations” and “Japanese Art Objects in Belgium”—as part of the Japan Lecture Café Series 2026. The lecture series is organized on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of friendship between Japan and Belgium and brings together scholars and the wider public to reflect on the long-standing cultural and historical connections between the two countries.
Within the framework of this series, the East Asia Platform, in cooperation with Ghent University’s Institute for Japanese Studies (Department of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy), is organizing five lunchtime lectures in the Sint-Baafshuis (Kapel) in the city centre of Ghent. The first lecture took place on 10 February. Each session runs from 12:00 to 14:00 and consists of a one-hour lecture in the Kapel, followed by a one-hour networking reception in the Foyer. The events are held at Kapittelstraat, 9000 Ghent, and offer an opportunity for academic exchange as well as informal discussion.
