The inaugural JICA Chair lecture on "Japan’s Early Modernization, the Meiji Revolution" took place on March 3 at the Grand Amphitheatre of the University of Antananarivo. The lecture was given by video conference from Japan by Dr. Kitaoka Shinichi, the President of JICA or Japan International Cooperation Agency. During his presentation, Kitaoka Shinichi first recalled the diplomatic relations and historical facts linking Madagascar and Japan. Madagascar, in his words, is the crossroads between Africa and Asia, which makes this country a strategic point for free trade between the two continents.

Several Japanese-Malagasy cooperation activities have already been implemented, such as JICA, which since 1965 has had 1300 Malagasy participants. He then went on to talk about Japan’s establishment of a free, modern, and democratic governmental system, which was not built on the Western model. This system was founded during the Meiji Revolution : the period of restoration of imperial power at the expense of the Samurai system. It was during this period that the Meritocracy was applied, a political and socio-economic system based on equal opportunities, individual freedom, and the recognition of achievement

"Men are neither superior nor inferior to one another, says the sky. With this quote, the President of the University of Antananarivo, Professor Mamy Raoul Ravelomanana, gave his point of view on the interest of the JICA Chair not only for the students of the University of Antananarivo, but the future elites and leaders of the country, but also for all the actors of the Malagasy political life. He emphasized the key role of education in the Meiji Revolution. Professor Mamy Raoul Ravelomanana explained the Japanese industrial miracle of the 20th century and its function as the locomotive for the industrial development of the Tigers and Dragons of Asia, commonly known as the flight of the wild geese. According to him, the Meiji Revolt was a great success that paved the way for Japan to rise to the status of a developing nation.

Japan thus forms a model of inspiration for the future elites of Madagascar. The Japanese Ambassador reiterated the success of the Meiji Revolution, which was distinguished by its low casualty rate and its successful system based on the hybridization of Western culture with traditional Japanese culture. With these words, he invited the participants to use the JICA Chair as "food for thought" to reorientate approaches to the country’s development. More than 600 participants attended the course, some of them face-to-face and some online. The next course is scheduled for 14 April and will focus on "Japan’s development experience and cooperation with Africa". This course will be taught by Dr. Takahashi Motoki, Professor at Kyoto University.