On 21 May 2024, JDS fellows and fellows from other scholarship programs living in the Tokyo metropolitan area were invited to the Potluck Party which aimed at strengthening networking across universities and nationalities. Similar events have been held annually
since 2014, but due to the spread of COVID-19, it had to be suspended after January 2020. This year, marking the first time in five years since autumn 2019, JDS fellows and their families from 13 countries participated.
Participants brought their own home-cooked dishes and snacks, and deepened their understanding of each other's country by introducing their cuisine.
A mixed-nationality quiz competition was also held to deepen the friendship among the participants. It was a great success, with the fellows and their families working in unison to come up with the answers.
All participants enjoyed interacting with others from different countries and many comments were made about their desire for future events.