On November 7, 28 university students and some government officials from South Korea, who came to Japan through an exchange program run by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Meiji University Surugadai Campus and participated in a student exchange event.
The participating students from Korea were 28 individuals selected from across the country. From Meiji University, a total of 28 participants attended: Professor NEBASHI Reiko’s seminar students from the School of Information and Communication, Associate Professor KUROSAKI Noriko’s seminar students from the School of Commerce, and students involved in international exchange activities in the university.
The event started with a welcoming address by Professor NEBASHI, followed by a greeting from Korean student representative Ms. KANG Joo-yeong , a second-year student at the Catholic University of Korea, who stated in both Korean and Japanese, “I hope our exchanges between Korea and Japan will lead to good relations between our two countries in the future.”
After that, the students were divided into seven groups and conducted fieldwork on the Surugadai Campus and surrounding areas based on the theme “Something you can feel Japan or traditional Japan.” The destinations were selected in advance by Professor NEBASHI’s seminar students, who selected places they wanted Korean students to experience in Japan, resulting in a diverse selection, including Akihabara, Korakuen, Asakusa, and Ueno.
After the fieldwork, Korean students reported on their cross-cultural experiences at the destinations, accompanied by images. The audience burst into laughter at their witty presentations. They also talked about what the members of the group had in common, and it was clear that despite the short time together, the students from both countries became completely comfortable with each other.
Finally, TANAKA Kota, a third-year student at the School of Information and Communication and a student leader of Professor NEBASHI’s seminar, delivered a speech as the representative from Meiji University, expressing gratitude to the Korean students, interspersed with humor. Furthermore, Associate Professor KUROSAKI gave a closing address, highlighting the achievements made by Korean international students at Meiji University and once again expressing gratitude to the Korean government officials and students.