30 undergraduate first-grade students took part in the 21st START Program * for a period of two weeks from February 21 to March 8, 2015. Led by Associate Professor Taiji Hotta (International Center) and two other teaching staff members, the students were dispatched to study at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.



JMU is about a three-hour drive from the capital of Washington DC and is part of the International Network of Universities (INU) along with Hiroshima University.



During the two-week period of their stay, the participants of the START Program experienced campus life by living in a dormitory and sharing rooms with students who acted as RAs (Resident Advisors), and interacted with local students.

On weekdays they listened to lectures on American society and culture held by JMU teachers and attended ordinary JMU lessons with the RA host students. The participants received a lot of stimulation from American students who study with enthusiasm and actively give their opinion on everything. Although sometimes they were frustrated because their English was not good enough for fluent conversation, many of the participants intended to keep an active, positive attitude and realized the importance of having one’s own opinion and mind. Aside from the university, students also visited the Shenandoah Caverns, Mount Vernon (the former residence of George Washington, the first President of the United States) and a fire station. Furthermore, they participated in various activities such as exchange with local children.



After returning home, the participants had a follow-up session where they investigated and studied “learning styles”, “concept of ‘public’ and ‘private’” and “habits, traditions, and courtesy” focusing on the differences between Japanese and American people. Then they held a presentation in English showing their impressions and achievements from their two-week stay. It was an intense schedule without much rest, but all of the participants shared enthusiasm to take on new challenges based on the experience from the START program, such as language learning, study abroad and on-campus international exchange activities.

Campus tour guided by the local students	Lesson at JMU
Group photo with JMU President Alger	Teaching how to make origami

* The START Program provides first year students who have little overseas experience the opportunity to attend lectures and see everyday life at a foreign partner university in order to raise interest in international/cross-cultural activities and studying abroad. It was established in 2010 and by the end of the first semester of 2014, it has already been held 19 times. This time the 21st program was held in America following the American, Vietnamese, New Zealand, Taiwanese and Australian programs held in the second semester of the academic year 2014. The Hiroshima University Fund financially supports part of the research expenses to lessen students’ economic burden and to give a broader population of students the opportunity of studying abroad. The participants went to study abroad following a 2-month training period before departure. Back in Japan, they had a follow-up session.

【Inquiries】

International Exchange Group,

Education and International Office,

Hiroshima University

TEL：082-424-4346

E-mail：kokusai-ryugaku(AT)office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp

(* Please replace（AT）with @)