On February 1, a graduation ceremony for foreign exchange students for the second semester of 2011 was held at the Surugadai Campus. Of the 50 graduating students, 37 took part in the event.
Mr. James Bowers, assistant director of the International Student Exchange Center, stated in his opening address, "Today is your graduation ceremony, but the ties that bind us will continue to exist. I hope that you will not forget that you are each a member of the Meiji University family and that you will treasure these ties."
Next, graduation certificates were presented to each graduate. Here are some of the comments made by the graduates.
"I truly enjoyed my studies at Meiji University. It was a good experience for me to teach my mother tongue, German, at the Izumi Campus.”(University of Jena, Germany, female)
"During this year, I not only studied, but also had experiences such as the tea ceremony and zazen. The time I spent here is irreplaceable. My only regret is that I did not get to see the cherry blossoms. I hope to come back to Japan one day to see them."
(Renmin University of China, China, female)
"I was able to broaden my horizons not only through my studies, but also through various experiences in a different culture. I will keep what I learned during my studies here close to my heart and keep working hard."
(Beijing Normal University, China, female)
"These six months studying abroad seemed very short. I am grateful to have made lasting friendships with people from all over the world at Meiji University."
(ISC Paris School of Management, France, female)
"I studied Japanese literature, and it was more difficult than I had imagined. However, I believe that all the hardships I faced will be beneficial to my studies in the future."
(Dongduk Women's University, South Korea, female)
"At Meiji University I learned about how to gather materials and how to write papers and I decided on my own path. I hope to come back to Japan and continue my studies in Japanese linguistics at graduate school."
(Soochow University, China, female)
"Before coming to Tokyo I had many concerns, such as whether I would make friends or whether I would understand lectures in Japanese. But now, I think this year in which I lived actively and with a positive outlook was the best year of my life so far."
(University of Iowa, USA, female)
For the first semester of the 2012 school year, 66 new exchange students from overseas will begin their studies at Meiji University.
