Sophia Magazine vol.2 / WINTER 2015

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late Angkor Empire. That Cambodian archeological trainees excavated these statues was a remarkable accomplishment, and it was a great joy for us as it gave the Cambodian trainees an opportunity to take pride in their own culture and to gain confidence. Sophia University, established by the Catholic Society of Jesus in 1913, has consistently provided an education with an international awareness to “learn the wisdom of the East and the West together.” The Sophia Mission originates from a project to promote exchange among Japanese, Thai, and Viet-namese students launched by three Jesuit fathers, including my former teacher Father Paul Rietsch. In 1961, I traveled as a student with Father Rietsch to an exchange meeting in Viet-nam. I still vividly remember him saying prior to the journey, “The era of Asia will come. Take a hard look at the realities of Asia firsthand.” After that, thanks to the efforts of the 7th President of So-phia University, Joseph Pittau, the Sophia University Insti-tute of Asian Cultures (SIAC) was established in 1982. Up until then, research in Japan had been centered on Western studies. The purpose of establishing the SIAC was to study Asia’s society, cultures, and history fully, thereby contributing to our understanding of the region. The Sophia Mission has taken on that spirit. For more than 25 years we have carried out the proj-ect, which has won accolades both at home and abroad. I keenly realize that its success can be attributed to the Society of Jesus, which operates globally and Sophia University, the mother body of knowledge that has continued to cooperate internationally over the years.One cultural conflict after another occurs at the actual site of any human resource development project. To overcome them, it is important to mutually respect each other’s culture. There is much that we should learn from the Cambodian people, such as their history, culture, traditions, and lifestyles. We began by learning the Cambodian language and have built relations based on trust. International cooperation boils down 1. Sophia Asia Center for Research and Human Development 2. Professor Ishizawa explaining the monuments onsite3. Cultural heritage education for the local community in Angkor Region 4. Excavation site of 274 Buddha statues (2001)Building Borderless Relations of Trustthrough Human-to-Human CooperationLearning the Wisdom of the East and the West TogetherProf. Ishizawa has published many books as a leading re-searcher of the Angkor mon-uments.12348Approach