Visit by Students from Montana State University

On May 19th, Kumamoto University had the pleasure of welcoming a delegation from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics at Montana State University, consisting of 23 students and 5 faculty members. The visitors were greeted at the Center for International Education lounge by Lecturer Lander Bryant Sims (Special Assistant to the President) of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, along with more than 20 students from Kumamoto University.

The visit began with a warm welcome speech from Lecturer Sims, followed by a presentation on Kumamoto University by one of his students, Ms. Sakurai. This provided a valuable opportunity for the student to put classroom learning into practice in a real-world setting. Speaking from a current student’s perspective, she highlighted the university's distinctive qualities, shared insights into her daily life on campus, and conveyed the vibrant and engaging environment at Kumamoto University. Her personal and relatable presentation sparked curiosity among the guests and led to a lively Q&A session.

Next, a group of five students from Montana State University delivered an impressive presentation introducing their home institution. They spoke on a range of topics, including research, student life, dining halls, and extracurricular clubs. Their use of visual materials—abundant photos and creatively edited videos—made their presentation especially dynamic. Memorable segments included classroom scenes and footage of students working with cows, giving the audience an immersive, almost first-hand glimpse of life on the campus.

The program continued with a lunch session where Kumamoto University students joined their guests at each table. Sharing traditional Japanese-style lunch boxes, students engaged in friendly conversations, deepening mutual understanding and building meaningful connections.

Montana State University and Kumamoto University have maintained an inter-university student exchange agreement since 1987. This visit not only reaffirmed the long-standing partnership but also fostered intercultural understanding and student-to-student engagement, planting new seeds for future exchange and collaboration.