KC Newsletter 2010 1 E
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Vol. 5 January 25, 2010 Season’s Greetings from the International Center : Director Mike Matsuno ~~~Once in a Lifetime Home Visit Experience ~~~ We need your help! Be part of an exchange of “world cultures”! OGU’s i Everyone! The remainder of the fall semester was increased number of international students have completely filled our We have had an excellent fall filled with a variety of sports events held current host family homes. If you or H semester! Remarkably, 51 inter- for both the international and Japanese anyone would be willing to open your students. There was: basketball, soccer, homes to international students whom national students from 13 countries and are currently living in an apartment or 23 universities arrived in early Septem- golf, ping-pong, and even “Salsa Danc- dormitory for a “short-term home stay” ber. Their first semester came to a close ing” led by Oliver Hamacher from Fontys experience please contact the Interna- University in the Netherlands! Other so- tional Center. How about helping us on January 10th. The fall semester was give students a taste of traditional full of interactive activities and events cial events included a huge karaoke family life in Japan! For more details, hosted by the ISST* volunteer OGU stu- competition featuring the students vs. please contact the International Center dent group, international students, the teachers/staff at the Big Echo, Christmas at Osaka Gakuin University. four International Center Shoin Senseis, caroling, I-Chat events for Halloween, Tel: 06-6381-8434 E-mail: [email protected] and the International Center staff. Thanksgiving, and Christmas parties. This was the first year ever, the Inter- The cultural events included field trips to national Students, together with the ISST both Kodaiji and the Uji sake brewery; members, hosted their own International the Japanese language class field trips Center Kishibe-sai booth. They sold a to view the leaves changing, a fall barbe- variety of foods featured from five differ- que; the English course class trips to the ent countries. The foods included: Matsushita Museum, Bunraku, and the Kaiserschmarrn from Austria, dumpling Osaka Municipal Government Office. from China, crepes from France, Kimuchi While the social and recreation was Jeon from Korea, and peal milk tea from fun and plentiful, most of the international Taiwan. students have often made mention of the “extremely heavy” workload they experi- enced in their university classes. They spent the majority of their semester studying Japanese language, Japan- subjects in English, and the J-Bridge courses in Japanese. The International Center staff and myself, have had the goal to offer international students a well- rounded experience with fun and enjoy- able activities as well as a rigorous and demanding Japanese language/studies Top: Students playing soccer at OGU Hiroba program. I have always promoted our Bottom: Mixed student group after the basketball program as one of the most rigorous and game challenging Japanese language studies program in Japan. Our four dedicated you, the OGU Faculty/staff/students, Japanese language teachers hit the clubs/circles, I-Chat staff, home stay ground running in September with this families, dorm staff, and the Suita Com- year’s students! They challenged the munity, we have had the most exciting international students to really push fall semester at our International Center themselves to reach their highest poten- so far. From all of us at KC, we want to thank you all and wish you a very won- Top: Japanese and KC teachers tial in Japanese. Most students have Bottom: 51 international students with been very satisfied with the balance of derful New Year in 2010! teachers studies and play. Lastly, thanks to all of *ISST: International Students Support Team Page 2 Host Family Meeting and Guest Lecture “Intercultural Communication at Home”: Invaluable insight in your partnership with an International Student” n November of 2009, the first Host volved. much you understand and know yourself Family Meeting was held by the Inter- The primary lecture points outlined in will unveil how well you understand and I national Center. Ten host families of Dr. Yasuda‘s presentation included the appreciate others. As you play the role of current international students enjoyed a following: “The intercultural experiences parent to an international student, keep in presentation given by Professor Kazuyuki you currently face can be both rewarding mind, it also requires demands similar to Yasuda from the faculty of International and challenging. Average Japanese ex- raising your own child. Likewise, being a Studies. The topic of the presentation was pectations would never be a natural intui- parent to a guest student helps us mature Clinical Psychology ~ Intercultural Com- tion of any of the international students. and grow similarly to when we raise our munications at home. The event was both Your experiences may actually change own child. The acknowledgment of these informative and well attended. Many your perspective about the way you look similarities rewards both you and your thanks to everyone who participated. at many things. Perhaps you may be often international guest with invaluable experi- The first half of the event featured fam- asking yourself the question: “Should I ences. ily introductions and the sharing of stories expect the international student to follow As a host family myself, I personally and their experiences with their current my family’s Japanese customs so strictly extend my heartfelt thanks to all other international student. Discussion topics or should I be more flexible and attempt host families for extending your warm ranged from the challenges of preparing blending or adopting their customs as hospitality and opening your homes to vegetarian dinners, student allergies to well?” When you encounter challenging help develop OGU‘s educational pro- fish, shoe etiquette and family shower situations, in which you may not fully un- grams. Your homes serve as true learning schedules to money talk and economics! derstand at that moment, it helps deter- grounds for all international students. We It was a great opportunity for everyone mine how interculturally sensitive and truly look forward to conducting similar meet- involved to exchange their open and hon- global you really are. Understanding and ings in the near future and hope that fami- est opinions. The follow-up lecture by Dr. appreciating the perspectives of others lies continue to participate. Yasuda summarized the various opinions actually demonstrates at what level you Thank you. and provided feedback for everyone in- understand yourself. As a result, how (T.K.) Cambridge University Queens College Study Program: Kazuki Mori (A senior majoring in International Studies) Each September, OGU selects students to attend a study program at Cambridge University Queens College, where they have the remarkable opportunity to study economics under Dr. Murray Milgate. Although it is very difficult for some Japanese students to learn economics instructed entirely in English, the students who partici- pate in this program become very stimulated by their study experience. Kazuki’s dream came true when he became one of the selected candidates. Currently, as a senior at OGU, he is an ISST member and uses many of the skills he has learned during his overseas experiences. The following is Kazuki’s story: coursework, we were exposed to a variety of topics such as: comparison of GDPs of fter I returned from my study America, Japan, England, France and abroad in Sweden, during the first China. Further, we learned how these A semester of my junior year, I was comparisons tied to the world’s economy searching for a new goal. One of my and how each country’s economy sur- teachers in the International Studies De- vived after changing events such as the partment mentioned to me that if I took a collapse of the Bretton Woods System, special economics class at OGU, there the Oil revenue downfalls, the economic was a possibility I could apply to go to crisis in Mexico, the affects of the end of Cambridge University for an economics the Cold War and the burst of the bubble OGU students with Dr. Milgate program. That became my new goal! The economy, etc. Moreover, we studied special economics class was instructed about the role of the International Mone- Milgate. Regardless, he was always so via video conferencing, on the OGU cam- tary Fund and World Banks. Two of the kind to answer my basic questions. Cam- pus once a week, by an economics pro- most useful things I learned, were the bridge is a University town, so it is one of fessor from Cambridge University. The effects of the Lehman shock and the ever- the greatest environments for any student main points of the course outlined interna- accelerating sinicization process. Al- who would like a quiet place to do re- tionalization based on economics and the though I studied at Queens College for search. systems of the global economy as a only two weeks, it was an honor for me to Much time has passed since my return whole. I didn’t have sufficient knowledge be instructed by such a great authority on from Cambridge and I am pleased to of macro or micro economy, historical economics, Dr. Murray Milgate. Likewise, share with my underclassmen, at Osaka aspects of world economy and knew lim- my free time there was rewarding, and I Gakuin University, my study abroad ex- ited economic terms. Therefore, in the enjoyed my entire experience. If I were to periences and the many valuable lessons beginning, it was often difficult for me to note one regret, it was not having more gained throughout my student life at OGU. keep up with the content of the class. basic history of the world’s economy.