Nine Marshall University students have been selected to participate in the Kakehashi Project, an exchange program sponsored by Japan’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The program is run by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The “Japan Friendship Ties Program” is intended to promote people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the various nations of Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean regions. The North American regional component bears the name Kakehashi Project.
The nine students will travel to Tokyo and Nagoya and have a chance to learn about Japanese culture, history, society, technology and language. The Japanese word “Kakehashi” means bridge, which symbolizes the hope that participants will form lasting relationships with Japan and its people and serve as bridges between nations and cultures. The students chosen are expected to act as youth ambassadors for the Tri-State area, Marshall and the United States while in Japan.
The nine selected students are:
- Benjamin Fain, Marketing and Honors College
- Darshan Sangani, Biological Sciences and Honors College
- Jaclyn Davis, Japanese and Spanish
- Faith Bramlett, Biological Sciences and Honors College
- Hope Bramlett, Computer Science and Honors College
- Madison Knight, English
- Aaliyah Manns, Video Production
- Haley Elkins, Advertising and Public Relations
- Ren Roy, International Business
Dr. Zelideth María Rivas, the Japanese program director and assistant provost for global education, will accompany the students.
“This state-sponsored, short-term study abroad experience will give these students the opportunity to learn firsthand about Japan while also cultivating meaningful exchanges with students at one of our international partner universities in Nagoya, Chukyo University,” Rivas said.
The students will attend lectures on the development of Japanese politics, economy, society, culture, history and diplomatic relations. They’ll visit educational sites and institutions; high-tech and traditional industries; world heritage sites; and provincial government offices. They will also participate in cross-culture events, workshops and discussions.
For more information visit www.jice.org/en/index.html.
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Photo: From left are Benjamin Fain, Darshan Sangani, Jaclyn Davis, Faith Bramlett, Hope Bramlett, Madison Knight, Aaliyah Manns and Haley Elkins. (Ren Roy not pictured.)