On January 30 at the Global Front building on the Surugadai Campus, a ceremony was held for international exchange students who had completed their exchange study program at Meiji University this fall semester. We celebrated the achievement of 114 exchange students who had completed their one-semester or one-year exchange programs at Meiji. These programs are based on mutual agreements between Meiji University and partner Universities. The students were from 68 universities covering 20 countries and regions.
The ceremony began with an opening address from Professor Yasuhiro Tokoro, Vice Director of the International Student Center, and a congratulatory speech from Professor Teruhisa Komuro, Vice President, who is also the director of the International Collaboration Headquarters. Professor Komuro referred to the founding spirit of Meiji University, emphasizing its commitment to "freedom and independence," and highlighted the university's mission to cultivate individuals who contribute to building a better society with a global perspective. He encouraged them with the message that the knowledge gained during their time at Meiji University would be beneficial to their happiness and contribute to a better society.
Following the speech, Professor Masao Kikuchi, Director of the International Student Center, presented a certificate of completion to the representative exchange student, Ms. Le Ngoc Quynh Nhu from the Foreign Trade University in Vietnam. Then, she delivered a speech in Japanese, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to broaden her global connections through the exchange program. She talked of her personal growth during her time in Japan, emphasizing the importance of the connections students made between each other and the mutual support they gave each other, regardless of the countries they came from. The venue was filled with warm applause.
Giving the closing address, Professor Masao Kikuchi expressed his deep feelings of happiness, that Meiji University was again able to welcome the group of exchange students since 2020 owing to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He asked the exchange students to cooperate in welcoming Meiji students to attend programs at their own institutions after they return. He encouraged them to become bridges between their own countries and Japan.
After the ceremony, over 50 exchange students attended a farewell party organized by the student group Campusmate. The event facilitated lively interactions and exchanges, including the presentation of photos taken during the ceremony as gifts to exchange students. Many exchange students were heard to say that they were sad about only having a short time before they had to depart to their home countries and that they were already missing Japan and the memorable experiences they had enjoyed here.
≪
Japanese version≫
