President Taniguchi Offers Encouragement to Student Participants of The “TOBITATE! Young Ambassador Program”
On July 25th, 2014, President Taniguchi held an informal meeting with students chosen to participate in the “The 2014 Japan Public-Private Partner Student Study Abroad Program ~TOBITATE! Young Ambassador Program~”.
This program was established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through collaboration between the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) and private enterprise for the purpose of offering enriching experiences that provide the opportunity for students to think and act independently. This is accomplished by recommending study abroad programs that focus on “experiencing other cultures” and “taking action.”
The program participants are scheduled to receive both pre and post-exchange training along with comprehensive support from MEXT. This year is the first year that the study abroad program will be carried out, and from an initial applicant pool of 1,700 people, 323 students have been selected.
Eight students were chosen from our university.
On the day of the meeting, President Taniguchi told participants to “make lots of friends, stay healthy, and have fun while pursuing your studies.”
He also encouraged the students by adding that, “The interpersonal network you form during your study abroad will connect you to the world and help expand Japan’s influence around the world.”
One student commented, “As a representative of both Kumamoto University and Japan, I hope to promote the reputation of Kumamoto while trying my best overseas.”
Participants will study abroad in many different host countries, including western countries, like America and Britain, as well as Asian countries, such as India and Singapore. There, they will have an enriching experience based on personalized study abroad plans that they will develop on their own.
