News 1: Establishment of Friendship Association with Vietnam in Kyushu
Following the friendship agreement with Hanoi City, “Kyushu-Vietnam Friendship Association” was established in September at Fukuoka City. Having the Chairman of Kyushu Economic Federation as the originator, the association is going to support students from Vietnam, promote information exchange between Vietnam and Kyushu, mutually send a mission and so on and so forth.

Kyushu-Vietnam Friendship Association (In Japanese Only)

 

News 2: Conclusion of the first double degree agreement between France and Japan
Keio Business School (KBS) and ESSEC Business School (ESSEC) in France have signed a double degree agreement. It will offer their respective students the chance to study one single common program and for which they will be awarded the MBA diplomas of both institutions from fiscal 2009. This is the first agreement ever between ESSEC and Japanese university for a double degree.

Keio Business School

News 3: Scholarship established in Brazil by Japanese companies
On the occasion of the Centennial of Japanese Immigration to Brazil in 2008, a new scholarship has been established for those students of the University of Sao Paulo who would like to study in Japan. It is the Ryoyukai Institute composed of 15 companies including companies of Japanese origin located in Brazil and Japanese companies that has started the program. The institute plans to send regularly around two students every year to Japan.

Reference (PDF : 84KB)

 

 

News 4: Japan Tourism Agency Inaugurated to PR the appeal of Japan
The Japan Tourism Agency was inaugurated on October 1 to make Japan a tourism nation. The agency is aiming at increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan as its basic objective, while working on creating appealing tourist destinations in collaboration with local people and promoting training and utilization of talent in the tourism field.
Japan Tourism Agency

 

 

News 5: Knowledge of University available on the Internet for free
Open Course Ware (OCW), which was originally started by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States in 2001, is now widely being disseminated. In Japan 37 institutions including 21 major universities are working on their OCW activities, and it is not only the course materials and their related information but also the video recordings of actual lectures that are made available through the Internet by increasing number of universities. Neither pre-registration nor application process is required for use, and there are currently more than 400 thousand users per month.

OpenCourseWare Consortium

Japan Opencourseware Consortium

News 6: Know more about Japan than the Japanese?
Foreign students studying at Japanese language schools participated in a competition named “Nihon Kentei Quiz Taikai” held in Tokyo in October. The competition was to test participants’ knowledge of Japan such as the language, sports and overall culture including art. 36 pairs recommended by their Japanese language school principal participated in the competition. There was an attraction which was for both the participants and about 750 audience people to enjoy together, and both of them really had an exciting time. This year’s winners were Ms. Ju Unji and Ms. Kim Jina from South Korea.

Nihon Kentei Quiz Taikai (In Japanese Only)
NIhon Kentei Quiz Taikai Sample questions (PDF:609KB)

News 7: The Nobel goes to Japanese Scientists for the first time in six years
Three scientists have won the 2008 Nobel Prize in physics. The physicists are Toshihide Masukawa, professor at Kyoto Sangyo University and professor emeritus at Kyoto University; Makoto Kobayashi, professor emeritus at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization; and Yoichiro Nambu, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, who holds U.S. citizenship. Researcher Osamu Shimomura, professor emeritus at Boston University, has been awarded the prize in chemistry.

 

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News 1: Indonesian nurses and caretakers arrive in Japan

In August, the Japanese government received 208 nurses and caretakers from Indonesia under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). They will receive training on the Japanese language and cultures for half a year before working at hospitals and nursing facilities. They aim to obtain official certificates for their jobs in Japan.

Reference (PDF : 286KB / In Japanese only)

News 2: International students to be trained as nuclear experts

Tokai University is set to launch a program to train international students to become experts on nuclear power generation, for which demand is expected to continue rising in Asia. Toshiba Corp., electric power companies and trading houses will likely cooperate by supplying information and internship services. Students in this master’s-degree program will be awarded with Japanese government scholarship.

News 3: Training of international leaders in environment

Nagoya University is set to start a master’s-degree program in graduate school of environmental studies, which is designed to nurture human resources who can effectively deal with environmental problems that Asia and African nations are facing, such as climate changes, water issues, waste disposal, and loss of biodiversity. The program will be attended by fifteen students—ten international students and five Japanese students. All lectures will be given in English. Selected international students are exempt from paying the admission fees and tuition and entitled to other preferential treatments.

Reference (PDF : 1226KB / In Japanese only)

News 4: Engineering information magazine issued for female high school students

Happy Technology (published by ANESTA), a free magazine on universities’ engineering departments, is attracting attention. It provides information on entrance exams and research themes, with cooperation given by sixteen universities with engineering departments normally shunned by female high school students. The magazine also includes interviews with female researchers and engineers in an effort to convey the attractiveness of these departments to would-be entrance exam takers at high schools. Such information is used in guidance counseling for high school students.

News 5: Growing awareness for good work-life balance

It is often said that Japanese people work too much to a point of exhaustion. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is raising the pubic awareness about the importance of the work-life balance. The ministry calls on businesses to attend to such work-related problems as women’s difficulty in securing a break from their work for child rearing and subsequent return to work, and men’s attempt to reduce workload for more time to support child rearing.

News 6: More than 10,000 international students find jobs

The number of international students who found jobs in Japan after graduating from Japanese colleges, universities and graduate schools exceeded 10,000 for the first time in fiscal 2007, according to an announcement made by the Justice Ministry. The number represents a 24% increase from the previous year. By industry, non-manufacturing jobs such as commerce/trade, computers, and education were mostly preferred by these students

News 7: Former Chinese international student wins Akutagawa prize

Ms. Yang Yi, a former Chinese international student, won the coveted Akutagawa Prize for serious literature. Her work, Toki-ga Nijimu Asa (A Morning where Time Seeps), all written in Japanese, was completed by her while she was working as a Chinese teacher. She came to Japan to study when she was 22.

(Reference page : In Japanese only)

News 8: World Costume Play Summit opens

The World Costume Play Summit 2008 was staged in Nagoya, in which Brazil won the championship for the second time. The event, the sixth this time, attracted fourteen sets of costume players from 13 countries including Japan. They performed before the audience of 12,000.

News 9: World’s first made-by-students satellite en route to Venus

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to have small satellites, to be developed by university students, piggyback on a Venus exploration vehicle “Planet-C” to be launched in 2010. Waseda U, Kagoshima U,  Soka U and The University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC), will each put forward their satellites. 20 groups in UNISEC, which consists of 48 universities and colleges of technology, equip their own computers for the contest to compete the durability in the space.

(Reference URL : In Japanese only)

(Photo Courtesy : Akihiro Ikeshita)

 

 

News 10: Japan-trained Wanjiru wins Olympic marathon in record time

Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru won the marathon in the Beijing Olympics in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 32 seconds, setting a new Olympic record. Wanjiru, who trained at Sendai Ikuei High School in Japan since he was 15 years old, said in Japanese, “I learned patience from my supervisor, especially during the first half of the race. I matured as a runner in Japan.” He is one of many foreign athletes who blossom while they train in Japan. They won medals and left good records at past Olympics in Seoul, Sydney, and Athens.

 

 

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News 1: Donations gathered across Japan for Sichuan and Myanmar disasters
Donations were solicited for the sufferers of the cyclone on May 2 in Myanmar and the Sichuan earthquake that hit part of China on May 12 with the force of magnitude 8. Municipalities and businesses solicited donations across Japan, with a Sapporo-based professional soccer team calling on its supporters for donations during a regular game. Chinese international students also urged their schools to contribute to the donation drive. Donations thus gathered were sent to affected areas through the Chinese embassy in Japan and Japanese Red Cross Society.

 

News 2: Open access to the Great Hanshin/Awaji Earthquake data as Sichuan disaster support
As part of the efforts to give support to the recovery of areas affected by the Sichuan earthquake, a Kobe University professor, who is translating the Great Hanshin/Awaji Earthquake data into Chinese, will open a homepage on the temblor in cooperation with Chinese international students at the university and some students from Kyoto University. The home page contains the translations of recovery support manuals, disaster-prevention measures, psychological care and other relevant information that have accumulated from the experiences of the Japanese quake. More contents will be added to the home page as a means of intermediate/long-term support.
Site URL: http://cpj-cpjac.jp/sichuan/ (Chinese only)

 

News 3: World’s first graduates from Fireworks Graduate School
This spring, first three students graduated from so-called Fireworks Graduate School, a new special subject added in 2006 to the mechanical engineering courses at the graduate school of Ashikaga Institute of Technology, setting off new fireworks as their graduation project. The beauty of Japanese fireworks is renowned throughout the world, but the most technically challenging pieces, which measure 30 cm in diameter, are banned from export. Their fire display can be only seen in Japan. Currently, four students including Chinese international students are doing research in the new course where they study fireworks from scientific and engineering points of view. After acquiring special knowledge and certificates on safety management, handling of environment issues and other relevant skills, these students as specialists are expected to be active on the global market.

 

News 4: More international students finding jobs
The Japanese government has propounded to simplify entry checks for would-be international students hoping to study at universities and colleges in Japan as part of its efforts to realize the “300,000 international students project.” There are also plans to increase the number of universities and graduate schools where students can obtain degrees by taking English-only classes and that of foreign faculty members. Some Japanese companies have also started to widen their employment doors to able human resources from other countries. Over 30,000 international students graduated from Japanese schools in fiscal 2006, of which 9,411 have landed jobs in Japan. Their numbers are expected to increase from now on.

 

News 5: Job fair for bilingual students
“The Tokyo Summer Career Forum” took place on July 2-3 for Japanese students who once studied abroad, international students in Japan, and those with job experiences. The popular forum is also being held in London and New York every year, providing a place where bilinguals look for jobs and businesses find human resources with a global perspective. The Tokyo forum was attended by 184 companies and a total of 4,000 visitors. The biannual event will next take place in mid-December. Admission is free.

 

News 6: Domestic job guidance for international students
As part of the “Asia Human Resources Fund,” a project being advocated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, twelve Tohoku-region universities that accept about 30% of international students in Japan and Tempstaff Kamei Corp. are together implementing “the Asia International Students Career Path Project.” The project is designed to help international students find jobs in Japan by the following means: Enhancement of communication skills using Japanese, seminars on Japanese cultures and business manners, internship at cooperating companies, and job-support programs.
(Asia International Students Career Path Project)
http://www.cp-tohoku.jp/index.html (Japanese)
(Project Support Center for Asia Human Resources Fund)
http://www.ajinzai-sc.jp/index2.html (Japanese)
Similar support programs along with job-support sites have started in Hokkaido, Kanto and other parts of the country. Such support measures for employment in Japan are growing for international students.
(Tokyo Employment Service Center for Foreigners)
http://www.tfemploy.go.jp/
(“Hiwork” : for finding jobs and job transfer by foreigners)
http://staff.hiwork.jp/ (Japanese)
("global leader" : job fair information for foreigners)
http://www.jobfair.jp/jp/ (Japanese)

 

News 7: Package tour on Japanese otaku culture
A package tour called “Otaku Anime Adventure Program” offered by JTB Global Marketing & Travel has proven popular among young sightseers visiting Japan. Such places as Akihabara and Nakano Broadway are the center of Japanese anime, cartoons and character goods that are increasingly known worldwide. And tourists from Europe, North America and other places are flocking to these unlikely sightseeing spots. The company plans to offer similar tours that stop by regular anime fairs to attract foreign tourists increasingly interested in Japanese subcultures.

 

News 8: Anti-global warming actions throughout Japan
The nation has now entered the implementation phase of the Kyoto Protocol that requires countries around the world to cut global warming gas emissions and electricity consumption. Carbon dioxide emission cut targets are set separately by area of activity, such as the industrial section including manufacturers, the business section including schools and small/midsize companies, and the home section regulating electricity consumption at home. Various companies are cooperating to come up with CO2 emission reducing measures, such as development of energy-saving appliances. These efforts are stirring nationwide energy-saving activities.

 

News 9: Development of “Green MBA” in Japan
The Ministry of Environment promotes the development of next-generation business leaders capable of handling environmental issues. There is an understanding that it is necessary to develop experts who, armed with specialized knowledge and skills, can effectively deal with environmental problems that accompany economic growth and industrialization, while contributing to the society with their expertise over a long term. In cooperation with companies and NGOs, the ministry plans to develop programs based on on-site experiences. Australia, China, and the U.S.A. are already offering courses on Green MBA and Green engineers.
(Reference PDF : 580KB)

 

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News 1: Keio University reduces admission fee as a step toward complete abolishment

Keio University, as part of its effort to review school expenses, announced that it would reduce the admission fee from the current 340,000 yen to 200,000 yen, starting in 2009. This means a reduction in the first-year payment for several departments at the university. Total school expenses will increase as tuition fees have been raised, but this increase more correctly reflects the standard level at other universities. “Basic fees for current students” and “Facility and equipment cost” will be introduced to clarify the items of school costs. Following this admission fee reduction, the university intends to completely abolish the admission fee with an aim to open the door wider to foreign students.

<Keio University press release (pdf)>

 

News 2: Fujitsu SSL Ltd. promotes IT engineer development in cooperation with Asian colleges

On April 2, 2008, Fujitsu SSL, Fujitsu Social Science Laboratory Ltd. began an IT education support program for students majoring in the Japanese language at Hanoi National University and Hanoi University of Foreign Trade. The program is in Japanese and Vietnamese with an aim to not only improve the students’ IT skills, but also to develop bridge SEs versed in the languages and business customs of the two countries. Fujitsu SSL intends to widen its support including the supply of scholarships and necessary equipment.

<Fujitsu SSL press release>

 

News 3: The government to realize “300,000 international students” by 2020
The government has revealed the original plan of “the education promotion basic plan” regarding its education measures over the next five years. Clearly stated in the plan is the “300,000 international student project,” by which the government aims to achieve this number by 2020.

 

News 4: ICETT holds a seminar for international students on environmental protection
International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT) held a seminar in March for international students on environmental protection in the field of automobile industry. The seminar was focused on pollution prevention technology among other topics. International students from different countries exchanged information on environmental issues. ICETT, in cooperation with the government and local organizations, offers training seminars and technical assistance each year in Japan and abroad in an effort to promote the prevention of industrial pollutions on a global scale.

 

News 5: Kyoto international students’ OB/OG society established
The Kyoto International Students OB/OG Society (KCSOB) was established in April. About 50 international students from China, the U.S., France and other countries centered on OB and OG were gathered to launch the society. The society plans to issue an exchange magazine, open a homepage, and promote information exchanges among international students.

News 6: Government enhances supporting measures for foreign trainees
The Japanese government has decided to enhance a support system for foreigners who engage in technical research and training programs in Japan as their numbers continue to increase. New measures include a telephone consultation service in their own languages and a study on introducing new resident status qualifications, to be implemented through the cooperation of government agencies concerned.

 

News 7: Job placement fair in Tokyo for international students in Japan
The 19th job placement fair for international students studying at Japanese universities was held in March this year. The fair will also be held at Ikebukuro Sunshine City on May 20. Participants will likely include about 20 firms, with the number of visitors exceeding 1,000 in both two events together.

 

News 8: International student development for corporate globalization
In Shikoku, Ehime University and other local schools have kicked off a program to help international students find jobs at Japanese companies in cooperation with businesses. This is part of the Asian human resources development project being promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. In the program, students study the business Japanese and corporate cultures and take part in on-the-job training at local companies for a total of 270 hours over two years. Those students who have completed the program are candidates for corporate executives.
(Reference URL http://www.ehime-u.ac.jp/whatsnew/1645/1645.html)

 

News 9: Former international student helps expand food bank activities
Second Harvest Japan, which used to be called Food Bank Japan, is growing in its range of activities. It is an organization that collects unwanted food items, to be disposed of due to package problems, overproduction and other factors, and then redistributes them to support groups free of charge. Executive Director Charles McJilton, a former international student at Sophia University, has been a core member of this activity in Tokyo since 2000.

 

 

 

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News 1: International students in Japan number 118,500, the second largest, due to many short-term stays
International students in Japan numbered 118,498 as of May 1, 2007, up 571 or 0.5% from the previous year. The figure was the second largest in the nation’s history. The number of students staying for a short period of time was a record high, while that of those staying for 1 year or more declined. By university, Waseda University led the others with 2,435 international students, followed by Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. The University of Tokyo was ranked third.

 

 

News 2: Mogus runs a section record, Daniel overtakes 15 runners
In the Hakone Ekiden, the annual New Year’s relay marathon, Yamanashi Gakuin University’s Mogus, an exchange student from Kenya, ran a record time in the second section of the course. Another Kenyan international student overtook 15 runners, propelling his Nihon University team from the 19th place to the 4th place. His time tied the record high in the section he ran. Komazawa University was the overall winner.

 

 

News 3: Keio University Science and Technology designates a Chinese high school as being eligible for the recommendation entrance system
Keio University Science and Technology designated Northeast Yucai School’s International Department, a high school in China’s Shenyang province, as a school eligible for the recommended entrance system, starting with the last year’s entrance exams. One person can be recommended for entrance into the university’s science and technology department each year. This is the first time that the university designated an overseas high school for the system. The Chinese school is sending to the department several international students each year with special permit or through general exams. Many of these students have proven highly competent at the university.

 

 

News 4: Job recruitment efforts stepped up for graduated international students

Shushoku Agent Co., Ltd. is shoring up its efforts to find jobs for international students who have just graduated and those who graduated sometime earlier with little job experience.

 

 

News 5: Cultural Affairs Media Art Fair
An art fair sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs took place from Feb.8-23, displaying about 160 outstanding works in anime, entertainment, animation, and manga comics submitted from 43 countries and regions all over the world.

 

 

News 6: Degrees obtained by 9,400 international students in graduate-level education, up 86% in five years
Of international students who had taken graduate-level education in Japan, those who obtained master’s and doctor’s degrees numbered 9,446 in the 2006 school year, an increase of 86% in five years. Of those with master’s degrees, 62% went on to land jobs and pursued higher education in Japan and 27% went home. Of the doctor’s degree holders, 36% remained in Japan and 47% went home to find jobs or pursue research fields.

 

 

News 7: Tsukuba University conducts collaborated classes with Asian universities via satellite
Tsukuba University is set to construct the world’s first collaborated system to conduct classes with universities in Thailand and Malaysia, via satellite Kizuna (WINDS) launched in February this year. Tsukuba University plans to start the international classes via satellite during the last half of 2008. The university also intends to use these classes to interview exchange students before entrance exams, provide follow-ups after graduation, and support the August entrance system based on e-learning.

 

 

News 8: Free measles vaccination shot for all students at the University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo has begun to provide free measles vaccination shots for all its students with inadequate immunity in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading on its campus. Measles broke out among people in their teens and 20s in the spring of last year, forcing the closure of many colleges and high schools nationwide.

 

 

 

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News 1: Japanese Consul General at Ho Chi Minh City Supports Researchers on Japan
The Japanese Consul General announced that it will support Japanese language education, researchers on Japan, studying and working in Japan. Currently, about 2,600 Vietnamese students are studying in Japan, the fourth largest among international students in Japan.

 

 

News 2: Support for Hiring Foreigners through Magazine and Web Site
Temp staffing agency Solver Network Co., Ltd. provides foreigners wishing to find jobs in Japan with information on Japanese companies about job openings for them.
Job search web site for foreigners ” Japan Career”

 

News 3: Prof. Tanabe of Ehime University Receives International Award on Environmental Education
Prof. Shinsuke Tanabe at the Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, received an international award on environmental education for 2007 from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). His efforts to guide and nurture international students and researchers from more than 10 countries in Asia and other regions were appreciated.
Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University

 

 

News 4: Malaysia-Japan International University of Technology (MJIUT) to Open in June 2009
The Malaysia-Japan University Center (MJUC) held an international symposium, during which participants discussed the opening of Malaysia-Japan International University of Technology (MJIUT) through Japan-Malaysia cooperation. The MJUC operates under the ministry of higher education.

 

 

News 5: Niigata Prefecture Proposes Hiring of Foreign Doctors
Niigata Prefecture, with an aim to solve doctor shortages, made a proposal to the government, asking for the creation of special zones where foreign doctors who once studied or were trained in Japan can provide medical care and the relaxation of regulations on their activities in Japan.

 

 

News 6: Former OJSAT Chairman Receives Awards
Mr. Supong Chayutsahakij, 66, Former chairman of Old Japan Students Association, Thailand (OJSAT), former chairman of Thailand-Japan Technology Promotion Association (TPA), chairman of Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology , vice chairman of a Bangkok expressway received “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” for his contributions to Japan-Thailand cultures, academic studies, and economy and promoting mutual understanding. Mr. Supong received a master’s degree at the University of Tokyo as a Japanese government-sponsored student while in Japan.

 

 

News 7: Promoting Exchange with Asia in “Tokyo in 10 Years” Program

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to accept about 50 international students and 500 trainees to its universities and administrative offices and specialized areas over the next ten years in a move to develop skilled human resources for future Asian progress. Tokyo intends to contribute to Asian development through these human resources who can be a bridge between Tokyo and Asia.
“Tokyo in 10 Years” implementation program (in Japanese only)
Asian Network of Major Cities 21
Tokyo Metropolitan Government

 

News 8: More Universities to Teach Cartoons and Anime Next Spring
More universities and graduate schools, including Gakushuin, Keio and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, will be offering classes on cartoons and anime next spring. These subjects are already being taught at about 33 universities. Many South Koreans and Chinese are among international students at these institutes.

Animation / Cartoon courses (PDF:78KB)

 

 

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