When Oussouby Sacko, from the Republic of Mali in western Africa, arrived in Japan, he knew very little about the language or culture. Nearly three decades later, in April 2018, he was appointed the president of Kyoto Seika University. This time on Japanophiles, Sacko explains to Peter Barakan why he came to Japan, how he became the first African president of a Japanese university, and what his ambitions are for the students he leads.