The International Center Newsletter

TAKING OFF

Vol. 12 Spring, 2011

“The Circle of Support”
Bridges that link Japan to Overseas Citizens

Due to the limited space,
we were unable to cover
all of the support activities
at other partner universities. Please reference ourblog to read about more
support efforts. Pleasecheck it out.

http://inoffice.blog102.
fc2.com/

Fundraising by Love Japan311

INDEX
Study Abroad Program of theInternational Studies Department

2-3

Spring Study Abroad Program: The Thai Work Camp

3-4

“Voices of the Students”
The Short-term Japanese
Program

4

The March 11th Earthquake and Tsunami
caused great loss for many people. Even
today, thousands remain homeless and arestill living in shelters. Although Osaka was notdirectly affected by the natural disaster, someof the international students returned to theirhome countries.

those donations were presented by President
Mathana of Bangkok University to the representatives of three participating Japanese
universities (Hagoromo University of International Studies, Osaka International University,
and OGU). OGU will forward these funds to
the Japanese Red Cross Society.

We have been receiving news about support activities at our overseas partner universities. One of the stories begins at Providence
University in Taichung City, Taiwan. Japanese students there, along with OGU student
Shiori Fukuda, (Foreign Languages, 3rd year
student) established a volunteer group named“Love Japan311” to support Japan. They began fundraising on March 16. Many local students, staff, and faculty supported their efforts. Another fundraiser was held at Bangkok
University in Thailand. They gathered donations totaling 300,000 yen for the victims ofboth disasters. Four of our students participated in their work camp in March. During thecompletion ceremony, held on March 14,

The whole world now supports Japan. We
would also like to do as much as we can support the restoration of the devastated areas!

Awarding the donation at the completion ceremony

Now and the Future of the OutboundExchange Program
A total of thirty OGU students were sent tooverseas partners within the past year. Although we had hope student numbers would
continue to increase annually, unfortunately
only 11 students applied for the current programs and will study abroad beginning thisfall. One student will study in the U.S., three
in Canada, two in France, two in Germany,
one in the Netherlands, and two in Korea.
Some good news is a student, who participated in the International Studies Department
study abroad program will now take advantage of the International Center program despite the one year limit rule set by the university. Ms. Yukiko Suetake, a third year student
who studied English at Waikato University in
New Zealand last year, will depart this fall to
Fontys University of Applied Sciences locatedin the Netherlands. This is a wonderful opportunity available to all OGU students.

There are several variables thoughts tocontribute to the decline in the number ofoutbound program participants. The International Center actively supports other study
abroad programs campus-wide such as theInternational Studies Department study
abroad programs, the Global Course in the
Economics and Administrative Sciences Departments, both the summer and spring shortterm study programs and Cambridge Queen’s
College Short-term Study Abroad Program.
These programs combined, in partnershipwith the International Center, share the goal
to increase overall outbound student numbers. The aim is to send approximately 100
students overseas via these various campuswide programs.
OGU students – won’t you take advantage
of one of the available campus-wide study
abroad programs in the future? Find one thatis a good fit for you!

Vol. 12Page 2

Study Abroad Program of the International Studies Department
During 2009, as a part of the experiential learning initiative, the International Studies
Department launched a study abroad program for all international studies majors. This
program requires students to study abroad for either one month or one semester in thesecond semester of their sophomore year. To date, three students have studied at the
University of Hawaii, Maui College, 18 at The University of Waikato in New Zealand,
four at Pai Chai University in Korea, and one at Providence University in Taiwan. Two
students also participated in a one-month program at The University of Waikato. Students who studied abroad, if only for a short time, claim their experiences help themmature immensely. Below are two students’ stories.

The Event that Changed
My Way of Thinking

Yukiko Suetake
One September day, when I just started
becoming more comfortable with my life in
New Zealand, my host parents were bothworking. No one was in the house, noteven the dog. I suddenly remembered myhost mother’s words, “It will rain tomorrow,so I will put the dog in the garage. Please
let him out when you come home.” I followed her instruction, yet, as soon as I
opened the garage door, the dog ran into
the house. When I went to the kitchen later
on, I saw a memo lying on the table. It
read, “Please remember: DO NOT let thedog out of the garage.” I was worried andat that time, I realized I had misunderstood
her instructions. I tried to put the dog backinto the garage, but it was impossible. I
had to keep the dog inside. After a while,the dog stopped barking and I could smell
something strange. I rushed into the livingroom and saw that a part of the carpet
near the dog was dark in color. The dog

The Most ImportantThing I Learned

Yuri Kyuma
This was my second study abroad experience in New Zealand as I studied English there during high school. However,this time I studied in a different place in the
country. While I was very excited to have a
new experience in New Zealand., at thesame time, I felt a little nervous because of
my limited English skills. My previous
study abroad experience was very short,and I didn’t have enough time to study
English before I left Osaka. I asked myself,“Am I able to live well if I go there like

had peed on it! I quickly cleaned it up, but
the carpet looked the same and smelled
really bad. Meanwhile, my host mothercame home. I explained to her what had
happened and apologized for causing aproblem. She asked, “Didn’t you remember what I told you?” I told her I misunderstood what she had said. She kindly answered, “Oh, OK…then don’t worry aboutit.” I expected that she would be mad atme, but she accepted my apology andeven cleaned the carpet. I felt relieved, but
at the same time, I felt very sorry for pretending to understand her words when I
actually didn’t. This event led me tochange my attitude about English completely. I decided not to pretend to understand anyone’s English, but rather, study
very hard to actually understand all thewords spoken to me. For example, when I
encountered unknown expressions orwords while talking with someone, I confirmed the meaning of the words by rephrasing them and asking questions tolearn the actual meaning. I also tried touse those new words when I spoke inEnglish the next time. While continuously
doing this, I realized that previously, I felt
this?” But my departure date came up
quickly, no matter how I felt about it.
As you may know, the season in New
Zealand is the opposite of Japan. I left
Japan in August on a very hot summer
day and arrived in New Zealand on afreezing cold winter day. Although it was
winter time I still saw vast fields with sheep
and horses near the road. The closer I got
to Hamilton, where I was supposed to live,
the more my heart beat with excitement! I
still remember my arrival so vividly in mymind!
My host family is from South Africa andconsisted of the parents and a daughter.
They welcomed me with open arms! They
even gave me a welcome party at their

From left, the host father, the dog
Willow, Yukiko, Cushla (a student from
China), and the host motherashamed to ask questions about what I
didn’t understand. I realized that remaining in the dark and not knowing the actual meaning of what others were tellingme was way more shameful. I believe
this is very important in both my university and daily life. This is one importantlesson I learned over the past year and itchanged my way of thinking tremendously.
This was my first study abroad experience. I was very nervous before leaving
for New Zealand yet, I was surroundedby many good people in there and had avery fruitful experience. Because of thisstudy abroad experience, I became interested in visiting many different places
around the world. As a result, I participated in Thai Work Camp in March andwill partake in the exchange program in
the Netherlands in the fall of this year.
From now forward, I will do everything
possible to make my dream to work as
part of an international organization
come true!
home upon my arrival. House parties in
New Zealand are when a few families get
together, bring dishes of food, and enjoy
talking to each other while eating andsocializing! During my first house party,
five families, who seemed to be very
close to one another, got together andhad an enjoyable time with lots of laughter. During my three-month stay in New
Zealand, I went to about five different
house parties. Parties like this are held
only on special occasions, so for me they
were fun and an unforgettable experience. I was also lucky that I didn’t haveany allergies to food in New Zealand.
I went to The University of Waikato
everyday except on weekends. I met

Vol. 12Page 3students from China, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Chile. We all came to New Zealand to study English, so we often could
not express ourselves to one anothereasily. But we tried to understand andcommunicate with one another by using
a dictionary and body language. Everyone turned out to be good friends ofmine. There were Japanese students
from other universities, but I decided
since I came to New Zealand to study
English, it would not be productive to
speak Japanese during my stay. Whencommunicating with my Japanese
friends, I tried to speak and email in Eng-

lish only. Truthfully, I can not say withconfidence that my English improved
remarkably in the three months yet, I cansay my attitude towards studying English
has changed dramatically!
I engaged in outdoor nature activities
throughout my study abroad experience.
I met a lot of people, learned about afascinating new culture, and had experiences that I could of never had otherwise
in Japan. I am very pleased that I decided to participate in this program. I
hope to put my valuable experience to
use in my future!

Spring Study Abroad Program: The
Thai Work CampOGU has participated in the work camp sponsored by Bangkok University since thespring of 2007. In this camp, students volunteer in an intensive volunteer work program, which lasts only a few days. Although a short program, it gives our students a
more global perspective. They leave Japan, and can see there are thousands of people
in the world living in severe condition. Students learned the importance of sustainable work solutions and cooperation. The international Center hopes other students
will also become interested in participating in this program and that international
cooperation activities will grow campus-wide.

Masafumi ShibutaniInternational Center Staff
This program is held annually in Marchduring the spring break time. Participantsfrom OGU joined another student groupfrom Bangkok University, one of our overseas partners. Together, the students
worked on a construction project building a
multi-purpose room at elementary schoolin a farming village in the Chumporn Providence. A total of two Japanese universities, in addition to OGU, participate in thisprogram each year.
The Chumporn Providence is locatedabout 500 kilo meters south of Bangkok
and is well known for the cultivation offruits, its natural rubber, and fishing. This

area is also a great sightseeing spot
where visitors enjoy marine water sports
such as scuba diving.
Speaking of the construction project, theframework of the walls, the roof, and one
room were already completed. Our students worked on spreading cement on thewalls. They worked under very hot
weather conditions. Some students carried
20 kg cement sack and mixed the cementwith sand. Others cleaned up around theroom, and assisted the Bangkok University
students with the more simple tasks. Mostof the Bangkok University students spoke
only Thai. In the beginning, all of the students had a difficult time communicatingwith each other. As time passed, students
played games during breaks, spent time
together and naturally became good(Top) With host family(Bottom) At a home party(Yuri, second from left)friends. Building good relationship with theThai students is one of the main purposesof this program. Students learn a lot when
they work and live together. The Thai students’ group leadership skills and cooperation during the recreation time was
excellent. As the Japanese students werevery stimulated by the Bangkok University
students, they prepared the recreation
activities and several meals while exchanging ideas and cooperating with one
another in the process.
Although this program was only ninedays in length, I can say with great confidence that it is a meaningful program,which offers many valuable experiences
and stimulating opportunities for students.
Seeing is truly believing! If you think you
might be reluctant to go a day or two without taking a shower, take a cold shower ormaybe feel uncomfortable sleeping in asleeping bag…..…this would be a great
testing ground for you to challenge yourself and learn how tough you really are!

From left, the multi-purpose room,
Bangkok University campus (Mr.
Shibutani right rear)Page 4

Mizuki Nakagawa
Foreign Languages
4th year student
Last July, I returned from a oneyear study abroad program to Germany. This experience inspired me tovisit other countries. As a result, I
decided to participate in the ThaiWork Camp this year. This programis held jointly with Hagoromo University of International Studies andOsaka International University annually. The campsite varies every year.
This year the site was in Chumphon

Recreation time at the campsite(Mizuki front/left)

Providence, which is located in thesouthern part of Thailand.
First off, many may think Thai
dishes are very spicy, but I foundthem to be rather sweet. It was surprising to find out Thai people use
not only hot pepper and the familar
nam pla, but also sugar. The Chumphon area is known for sugar madefrom coconuts. Tom Yum Goong isprobably the most well known Thaidish around the world. I learned that
it is not as popular as we think in
Thailand.
Thai people deeply respect Buddha and their King. 95% of Thai citizens practice Buddhism, therefore
you often see images of Shyakamuni
Buddha all over Thailand. More thanhalf of the pedestrians put their palms
together and greet the statues when
they pass by. This is called “Wai” inThai. Perhaps you have seen Thai
people put their palms together infront of their chest or near their nose.
If the image stands along the roadside, drivers honk when they pass by.
I was told they do this to pray for theirsafe travel. I also saw big photos of

the King and royal family members
placed in the middle of four-lane
highways. They are very much loved
in Thailand. You may see people
wearing a yellow T-shirt with letterssaying “I love the King” on the street.
Lastly, I will explain about the Buddhist teachings known as “Thambun”. This means to accumulate virtue. Thai people believe that doing
good deeds in this world results inhappiness in one’s next life. I do notknow if this is the reason, but all theThai people I met during this campwere very nice and always wore abeautiful smile on their face. It is also
often said that Thai people are basically laid back. I did witness this myself. This may be because of the hot
weather they endure year-round.
Although this work camp is held for
only a short period of time, one willdefinitely be able to learn many attractive points about Thailand. If you
are interested in learning more,
please do not hesitate to sign up fornext year’s trip. You never know, you
may just discover a whole new world!

“Voices of the Students”
The Short-term Japanese
The following are stories from a couple
students about their experience in thethree-week short-term Japanese program,which was featured in the last issue.

Ms. Keun-Hye Park
Soonchunhyang University, Korea
I had always wanted to come to Japan
since I was in junior high school. I was so
happy that my dream finally came true.
Most vivid in my memory, was the chance
for me to communicate with Japanese students in the J-Chat event at the I-Chat
Lounge. I also went sightseeing to Osaka
Castle, and saw the traditional Kyoto andmany deer in Nara. One funny story was
when a classmate, Mr. Jaehwan Lee,bought an very expensive piece of a roast
sweet potato in Nara for 1,100 yen. Everyone was very surprised at the cost. Since
then, he was nicknamed “sweet potato”.
Through this program, I had the opportunity
to meet Australian students and widen mypoint of view toward the world. I truly hope
to return to Japan once again someday!

Mr. Paul Killingly
CQ University, Australia

Although I studied very little Hiragana
before visiting Japan, my Japanese teacher
always encouraged and praised me forwhat I did in the classroom, so I was able
to try my best until the end. When I learned
Katakana, I felt like reading symbols or
solving quizzes. But after I could readthem, it was exciting that I could read signboards when I went out on the town. Because I learned Hiragana and Katakana, I
could type some words using my I-Phoneand even change them in Kanji. While I
was in Japan, I tried to communicate withpeople as much as possible. I now have afavorite bar close to the Senriyama Seminar House! I learned so much by participating in this program. I look forward to returning to Japan someday soon!

The group comprised of individuals ofdifferent ages and nationalities. They all
shared different cultures, but also learnedso much from each other. The young man
Jaehwan, mentioned above, will serve in
the army for two years beginning in May
of this year. Apart from him, we look forward to seeing everyone again sometimesoon!

(Top) Asahi Beer Factory-Suita(Bottom) Completion ceremony

International Center
Osaka Gakuin University/
Osaka Gakuin Junior College
2-36-1 Kishibe-Minami, Suita City
Osaka 564-8511 JAPAN
Tel： 81-6-6381-8434
Fax: 81-6-6381-8499
Email: inoffice@ogu.ac.jp