That's me enjoying a relaxing time with my high school friends in Japan.
Nov. 15 - Did you know that I have something in common with JICA President Sadako Ogata, Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Eiichi Negishi, Lawson CEO Takeshi Niinami, and West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller? All of us experienced living and studying in a foreign culture as students.
For all of us, the opportunity to learn a foreign language was an important aspect of our study abroad experience, but perhaps even more important was the exposure to people who thought differently. In my case, after living in Japan as a high school student, I gained self-confidence that I could overcome life's challenges.
However, I am very concerned that the number of Japanese students choosing to study abroad in the United States is falling dramatically. I have discussed this problem with many Japanese friends, and we agree that both sides should work to reverse this trend.
At the American Embassy we are working with public-private partnerships to raise money for scholarships. We are also encouraging companies to delay their employee recruitment timelines to account for those who study abroad in their junior year of college, and we are urging universities on both sides to revitalize their exchange programs.
Last year the number of Japanese studying in the United States was less than half the level of 10 years ago.
In addition, we are reaching out to students, parents, teachers and counselors. The United States has such a broad variety of colleges, and it can be daunting to find the best fit for each individual student. For that reason we provide counseling to young Japanese interested in study in the United States. Please check our EducationUSA website for additional information on U.S. study abroad opportunities.
I hope you will join me in encouraging young Japanese to consider study abroad. I had a great experience living with a wonderful Japanese family as I attended Japanese high school, and it changed my entire life. Such experiences await Japanese students who decide to study in the United States.
Until next time,
Jim
Note: For stories about American college life from Japanese students currently studying in the U.S., please visit this Japanese-language blog hosted by EducationUSA Japan.
I think this will be a hard trend to reverse. The Japanese population is shrinking and education has become less important in Japan. Students are not required to do as much as before, so you have 2 reasons students are less interested in studying abroad. I don't see this trend reversing until a stronger emphasis is put on education in elementary, JH, and HS in Japan.
With the nuclear problem in Fukushima and the need to suppress crucial safety information many tourist are staying away from Japan. I feel the same will be true for students for the next 10 plus years, at least in the Kanto area.
I always thought that excelling in academics for Japanese students was the "way of life". Your comment is really news to me. If that is true then student exchange would be on the decline.
