START Program & START + Program Sent 153 Students to Six Countries

From August through September 2019, Hiroshima University sent 153 undergraduates to six countries and regions through its unique “START Program” and “START+ Program” (*).

The participants underwent overseas training after attending pre-study abroad session for two months, followed by post-study abroad session after returning to Japan.

The achievements in the first semester of the academic year 2019 are as follows:

The 62nd START Program & The 7th START + Program (Australia)

Period: August 23rd thru September 9th
Destination: Flinders University (Adelaide)
Participants: 25 first-year students (START Program)
                  14 second- and third-year students (START + Program)
Leaders: Assistant Professor Babalola Micky Amune (Graduate School of Education) and 2 other staff members

Field study in the city of Adelaide

Visiting a local elementary school

The 63rd START Program (Thailand)

Period: September 1st thru September 19th
Destination: Mae Fah Luang University (Chiang Rai) and Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok)
Participants: 23 first-year students
Leaders: Associate Professor Takayoshi Maki (Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation) and 1 other staff member

Tea farm of Mae Fah Luang University

On the campus of Chulalongkorn University

The 64th START Program (Taiwan)

Period: September 2nd thru September 17th
Destination: National Chengchi University (Taipei)
Participants: 25 first-year students
Leaders: Professor Hajime Nishitani (Graduate School of Social Sciences) and 2 other staff members

National Palace Museum

Chinese language lesson at National Chengchi University

The 65th START Program (Indonesia)

Period: September 7th thru September 22nd
Destination: Brawijaya University (Malang)
Participants: 19 first-year students
Leaders: Associate Professor Naoe Kawamoto (Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences) and 1 other staff member

Topeng Malang

Visiting a local elementary school

The 66th START Program (United States of America)

Period: September 7th thru September 22nd
Destination: James Madison University (Harrisonburg)
Participants: 28 first-year students
Leaders: Associate Professor Fuyuko Takita (Institute for Foreign Language Research and Education) and 2 other staff members

After the luncheon with the President

In front of the monument of James Madison University (JMU)

The 6th START + Program (Lithuania)

Period: August 17th thru September 1st
Destination: Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas)
Participants: 19 first thru third year students
Leaders: Associate Professor Shiho Kato (Graduate School of Social Sciences) and 1 other staff member

With a historical monument in the background

Group photo

(*) The START Program aims to send first-year students who have little or no experience in overseas travel to experience classes and everyday life at an overseas partner university and thus fostering interest in cross-cultural exchange and long-term abroad study. Established in 2010, by the end of the first semester of the academic year 2019 the START Program has already been held 66 times. From 2017, we launched the step-up program called START+ Program for second and third year students, and it has already been held 7 times by the end of the first semester of the academic year 2019. These programs’ fees are supported by the Hiroshima University Fund and other patrons, giving more students the opportunity to study abroad with less financial burden.

Moreover, the START Program and the START+ Program are respectively offered as a general education credited course ‘Overseas Field Studies’ and ‘Overseas Field Studies: Advanced’, and aim to improve participating students’ global core competency (the core skills needed to succeed anywhere in the world). The students are asked to complete self-assessments of their global core competency skills and to make action plans at least three times; before leaving, while abroad, and once home. After consulting with their supervising professor, each student must then revise their action plans and make the effort to see it through. One’s global core competency and grade is then measured comprehensively by considering each student’s participation during the program, final presentation, and post-study abroad report.

Furthermore, participating students must each set a goal for the TOEIC test, and continue their language studies after completion of the program.

For details of START Program, click here

【Inquiries】
International Exchange Group, Hiroshima University
Tel. 082-424-4346/4551
E-mail: kokusai-ryugaku(AT)office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
(Please replace (AT) with @.)


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