NEWS

On Friday, February 3, 2017, the 2016 fall term Global Education Center Final Presentation Ceremony was held in lecture room 42 at the School of General Education, Matsumoto Campus, Shinshu University.

Presentations were carried out by international exchange students who had completed their half- or full-year study abroad programs, short-term Japan Study Intensive Program students who had completed their half-year programs, and international students who had completed their half-year Intensive Japanese Language Course and planned to continue on to graduate school at Shinshu University. Presenters made use of the Japanese language skills they had acquired during their time at the University to give speeches on subjects that interested them, their hometowns, their academic specialties and other topics.

This ceremony featured 28 students from 9 countries including the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, China, South Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

Presentations were limited to five minutes each, and each presenter gave their speech a unique, individual touch as they pushed their skills to the limits. The speeches gave voice to each presenter's thoughts and feelings.

Beginner-level students offered impressive descriptions of basic, surface-level differences between Japan and their home countries, while advanced students delivered outstanding speeches incorporating vivid descriptions of their study abroad experiences and transformations within themselves throughout their time in Japan using fluent Japanese that captivated the audience. The students' presentations were testaments to the challenges they had overcome and efforts they had made, and to the great strides they had made in Japanese language skills as well as in terms of personal growth.

Japanese students, tutors, Japanese language instructors and other members of the teaching staff, persons involved in organizing local events, and others who attended the presentation ceremony took active part by posing various questions to the presenting students. There were emotional moments, such as when students or tutors in the room would be moved to tears, or when the speeches prompted listeners to explode into uproarious laughter.

Almost all students will return to their home country after completing their study programs at Shinshu University, and this important final presentation ceremony served to showcase the accomplishments they had achieved during their time in Japan. The next Global Education Center Final Presentation Ceremony is scheduled for half a year later (Friday, August 4, 2017), and Global Education Center is hoping that many people will attend that ceremony as well.