Attractive active international exchange programs

One of the goals required for our students is to master three languages. For Japanese students, mastering a foreign language is a useful means to overcome global barriers and to bridge the gap between Japanese and foreign cultures. Our students should challenge themselves in the world outside Japan, and need to live in a foreign society to learn how international society works. That is the purpose of our active international exchange programs.

An example of our international exchange programs is a trip of 30 students from Josai University and Josai International University to Hungary this spring to join an internship program at Budapest Business School. The trip required the participants to acquire an objective view to see Japan via a third-person viewpoint. It was part of our overseas internship programs in association with the class "Japan in the World," which started this academic year. During the stay in Hungary, students took classes at Budapest Business School, joined a field trip to historic sites in and around Budapest, and visited an art museum to understand how Japanese culture was accepted in the country. The students also interviewed Japanese residents in the country and Hungarian citizens who are very familiar with Japanese culture to have an experience to review their own culture through third-person talks.

In February, a seminar, "Visegrad and Japan, together for Eastern Partnership," was held at our Kioi-cho Campus in Tokyo, co-sponsored by Japan's Foreign Ministry and the Visegrad Four countries, the partnership formed by Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. We are strengthening international educational exchange programs especially with Central European nations. Since 2008, 2,000 students have studied the Hungarian language at Josai University and Josai International University. This is considered a unique program no other universities have.

We have also tied up with universities in Asia, including Dalian University of Technology, China; Dongseo University, South Korea; and Bangkok University, Thailand, extending a partnership network with universities overseas.

An Interview with Noriko Mizuta, Chancellor of the Josai University Educational Corp.

The beginning of the 21st century is the most important time for universities because each country in the world has to seek cooperation and coexistence with others. It is significant for global society to send young students out to the world. We, universities, have the ability to do that. In Japan, demand is growing for human resources with high-level education to support the aging society. Josai University will soon mark the 50th year of its foundation, and Josai International University has experienced 20 years since its establishment. We will continue supporting young students for a better future.