Japanese Princess completes year of study at Leicester
Our School of Museum Studies is celebrating the achievement of a Japanese Princess who has successfully completed all her classes and handed in her final coursework. She now returns to Japan to await her final results before graduation in January 2016.
Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako of Akishino is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family. She is the eldest daughter of Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess of Akishino, and the first-born granddaughter of Their Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
She has been studying at the University of Leicester since September 2014 during which time she has lived amongst other students in the University’s Halls of Residence and undertaken an intensive and varied course of study in the School of Museum Studies. As part of her degree programme Princess Mako has also completed a placement at Coventry Museums and collections-based research at New Walk Museum in Leicester.
President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester Professor Paul Boyle, who has recently returned from a visit to Japan, said: “Leicester’s School of Museum Studies is world-renowned and is among the highest ranked research departments in the UK. We are delighted that Princess Mako chose to study with us and trust that she had a wonderful time in Leicester. We will be proud to count her among our alumni and hope that she will continue to engage with our University in the future.”
Speaking about her time at Leicester, Princess Mako said: "I would like to express my sincere gratitude for having had the opportunity to pursue my studies in such a favourable environment. It has been a very fruitful year for me. I hope to apply what I have learned at postgraduate school in the future."
Watch a video of Princess Mako and an interview with her dissertation tutor, Professor Simon Knell about her time at Leicester, below: