Indian High School Students Visit SFC
17 January 2012Over one hundred high school students from India visited SFC recently, as part of the JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) Programme. The JENESYS Programme is a project which is being promoted by the Japanese government with a view to establishing a basis for strong Asian solidarity through large-scale youth exchange. Since its launch in 2007, it has implemented numerous exchanges with the aim of deepening mutual understanding and friendly relations between Japan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, involving around 6,000 young people visiting Japan annually. This year, a group of outstanding high school students selected from across India spent nine days in Japan, from November 28 to December 6, during which time they visited SFC twice.
The high school students came to SFC for the first time on the morning of November 29, being warmly welcomed by SFC students amongst the beautiful autumn leaves of the campus. As they were to be divided into six groups from the following day, to stay in various parts of Japan (Tokyo, Aichi, Hyogo, Kochi, Miyazaki and Okinawa), Associate Professor Yoko Hasabe, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, firstly gave a presentation introducing characteristics of communication in Japan and useful Japanese phrases, in order to help them communicate smoothly with the Japanese people they would encounter. Following Associate Professor Hasebe’s lead, the high school students all enthusiastically practiced saying the phrases, which included such common expressions as “totemo tasukarimasu” (that would be very helpful) and “zehi tsurete-itte kudasai” (please take me there).
Next, the SFC students assigned to each group gave fun presentations, including quizzes, on the attractions of the respective regions, such as famous sites and local specialities. The delightful slides prepared by the SFC students, featuring the scenery and food of the places they were soon to visit, served to enhance the Indian high school students’ expectations and excitement.
The Indian high school students next came back to SFC on December 5, after returning to Tokyo from their assigned areas, where they had gained many valuable experiences through high school visits, Japanese cultural activities and home-stays, as well as strengthening bonds of mutual understanding and friendship through relationships established with Japanese youths and other locals. They were met off their buses by SFC students, who took them around the campus, before being welcomed with a speech by Dean and Professor Jiro Kokuryo, Faculty of Policy Management. In contrast to their first visit to SFC, when they had seemed somewhat nervous, the Indian students appeared full of confidence, and freely answered questions put to them by Dean Kokuryo.
The students next listened to a presentation by Professor Tatsuya Hagino, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, who introduced the GIGA (Global Information and Communication Technology and Governance Academic) Program, an initiative established in September 2011, which enables students to take examinations, courses and graduate, all in English. Also, two SFC students, including an international student currently on the GIGA Program, made a presentation about their experiences of student life, and as a last-minute addition to the schedule, Professor David Freedman, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, spoke with great warmth to the high school students.
Finally, following a briefing session on the JENESYS Program, attended by guests from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Embassy, the high school students bid their farewells to the SFC students who had accompanied them on their visit, and departed.Later, some of the high school students got in touch to say how much they had enjoyed their time meeting with the faculty members and students of SFC, and that they would like to come and study at Keio University in future. Meanwhile, the SFC students involved in the project commented on their impressions of the enjoyment and challenge of international exchange.
(This information is released by the International Affairs Office)