WMU welcomes guests from partnering university

By Ali Pavlicek
Western Herald

Western Michigan University welcomed three Japanese guests for a study abroad related luncheon and visitation Sept. 5, focusing on routine partnership relations and a new proposal.

Otaru University of Commerce, a partnering university for WMU’s student exchanges programs in Japan, sent three representatives on its behalf last week.  The WMU study abroad staff welcomed Otaru University’s graduate school dean Dr. Kazuo Watanabe and two additional professors, Dr. Maruyama Kyosuke and Dr. Kohichi Sayama to campus.

Kyosuke explained that e-mail currently stands as the standard means of communication between the universities; therefore, this particular visit allowed the individual staff members to meet each other face to face.

“Our other purpose is to carry out the task to bring a survey to WMU students who have a possible interest in studying in Japan,” Kyosuke said.

The survey addressed graduate school students and was developed to guide Otaru toward further graduate programs for their students.

“They are developing programs and it helps their own development and has great potential to develop programs for our students,” WMU’s Michitoshi Soga Japan Center Director Steve Covell said.

In addition to presenting the graduate survey, Covell explained that Otaru’s staff had the opportunity to see what their own exchange students are interested in.

These standard visitations from partnering international colleges generally take place once every three years.

Otaru University’s three-day stay at Western consisted of a luncheon in the Bernhard Center cafeteria on Sept. 5; an introduction to the campus, including the Haworth College of Business; and other activities with WMU staff from the guests’ arrival on Sept. 4 until Sept. 6.

“I can see it appealing to our students,” Kyosuke said of the overall campus atmosphere. “I will show them photos [when we return].”

At this time, WMU has two Otaru University students on campus, and another student will be coming in a few weeks.

The first student participant in the exchange program between Otaru and WMU occurred in 1994. WMU partners with five other universities in Japan, allowing students to study courses mostly in business and Japanese.

Kyosuke encouraged WMU students to study abroad in Japan or elsewhere.

“If you’ve never studied abroad, you can choose many areas,” he said.  “Japan would be one of the most different [from] what you’ve experienced.  I can guarantee that you will find an interest.”

For more information about Otaru University or any other study abroad opportunity at WMU, contact the Haenicke Institute for Global Education online at www.wmich.edu/studyabroad or go to B2425 Ellsworth Hall.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Sep 8 2008. Filed under Campus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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