Ehime University students participated in an online international exchange program with two U.S. partner colleges, College of Lake County (CLC) and Joliet Junior College (JJC), on November 17 and 20, 2020.
Both of the two U.S. colleges are located in the suburbs of Chicago and we have been actively engaged in student and faculty exchanges since 2010. Up until now, Ehime University has welcomed students from both colleges for a two-week study program every year, but this year’s program was cancelled due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Instead, we conducted this online program, participated by more than 30 students from the U.S. and 15 students from Ehime.
On November 17, Ehime University hosted “Japanese Language Night”, where Ehime University students taught Japanese to students studying Japanese at the two colleges. On November 20, “Japanese Culture Night” was held, where three students from Ehime gave a presentation in English about Japanese culture, such as student life, Dogo Onsen, and Hiroshima, followed by an active question and answer session.
The Institute for International Relations plans to continue this kind of online exchange in the future while exploring how to implement it more effectively.