An exchange meeting with overseas university students was held under the title "Online International Exchange, Global Perspectives ~ Culture and Education ~" as part of the course Global Japanese Studies Practicum B (supervisor: Associate Professor KOBAYASHI), which is offered in the School of Global Japanese Studies.
The exchange meeting was held on December 7 online via a Zoom meeting, with the aim of deepening mutual understanding between Japan, as seen from the outside, and other cultures. A total of 18 Japanese and overseas university students participated. Nine students from seven countries, namely Thailand, Syria, Turkey, Denmark, Hungary, India, and the United Arab Emirates, came together and then divided into breakout room discussions under the theme "Global Perspectives ~ Culture and Education ~."
In the Culture session, participants compared clothing, food, and housing in Japan and overseas. Japanese students shared pre-made PowerPoint presentations with photos, while overseas students were excited to discuss the beautiful Japanese kimono culture and delicious Japanese food. Japanese students also made numerous discoveries by listening to stories about Thai cuisine, which has many dishes familiar to Japanese students such as tom yum kung and pad thai, as well as Hungarian and food cultures and other stories with which they are not generally familiar. In addition, students from Dubai and Thailand who participated in the event were well acquainted with Japanese anime and spoke enthusiastically about their favorite anime, such as ONE PIECE and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
In the Education session, students compared education costs, talked about differences in perception between private and public schools, and discussed the percentage of students going on to higher education. In Denmark in particular, it was impressive to hear that the national government pays for education through to the university level. There was so much excitement in each breakout room that it was regrettable to have to end the discussions.
Through this exchange meeting, we were able to choose our own themes and obtain global perspectives from students of our age, which was a very valuable experience for us and will serve as a foundation for our future learning.
Amer's comment from Syria
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers of this event, as well as to the university for hosting such an enriching and eye-opening experience. A special thank you goes to Miss Rama for extending the invitation to me. The event was not only entertaining but also incredibly informative. I had the opportunity to immerse myself in different cultures, learning about people's food, clothing, and traditions, as well as gaining insights into their educational systems and ways of thinking. Understanding the concept of happiness from their perspective was truly enlightening. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the similarities between my own culture and those of the people I met from Thailand, Japan, and other countries. Despite being from the Middle East, I found common ground with individuals from diverse backgrounds. In closing, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the university for organizing this event. I sincerely hope that it will be repeated in the future, as it has been an incredibly valuable and wonderful experience.
Supervision for the article: IWAKI Kana (1st year, School of Global Japanese Studies)
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