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START Program / START + Program Sent 137 Students to Six Countries

From February through March 2019, Hiroshima University sent 137 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 three months, followed by post-study abroad session after returning to Japan.

The achievements in the second semester of the academic year 2018 are as follows:

The 58th START Program (Australia)

Period: February 22nd thru March 11th
Destination: Flinders University (Adelaide)
Participants: 30 first-year students
Leaders: Assoc. Prof. Megumi Watanabe (Office of the President) and 2 other staff members

At the top of Mt. Lofty, commanding a full view of the City of Adelaide

English language lesson

The 59th START Program (New Zealand)

Period: March 1st thru March 17th
Destination: University of Auckland (Auckland)
Participants: 30 first-year students
Leaders: Assoc. Prof. Brett Walter (Graduate School of Education) and 1 other staff member

In front of University of Auckland

Interacting with local elementary school children

The 60th START Program (Taiwan)

Period: March 3rd thru March 17th
Destination: National Central University (Taoyuan)
Participants: 24 first-year students
Leaders: Prof. Hiroshi Arami (Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences) and 1 other staff member

Taroko National Park

Interacting with Amis people

The 61st START Program (Vietnam)

Period: March 12th thru March 27th
Destination: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City)
Participants: 22 first-year students
Leaders: Assist. Prof. Babalola Micky Amune (Graduate School of Education) and 1 other staff member

Gathering at the University Hall

The “Thinkers” in the Mangrove Forest

The 4th START + Program (Spain)

Period: February 15th thru March 2nd
Destination: Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona)
Participants: 24 first, second and third-year students
Leaders: Prof. Hajime Nishitani (Graduate School of Social Sciences) and 2 other staff members

In front of the Tarragona Old City

Forming a Castell (human tower)

The 5th START + Program (Cambodia)

Period: February 24th thru March 3rd
Destination: Royal University of Phnom Penh etc. (Phnom Penh)
Participants: 7 second and third-year students
Leader: Assoc. Prof. Hisashi Kuwayama (Graduate School of Education)

Interview with local residents

Observing the restoration of Angkor Wat

(*) 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 academic year 2018 the START Program has already been held 61 times. From 2017, we launched the step-up program called START+ Program for second and third year students. This program 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/START+ Programs are offered as general education credited courses (‘Overseas Field Study’/‘Overseas Field Studies: Advanced’), aiming to improve participating students’ global core competency (the core skills needed to succeed anywhere in the world). Self-evaluation sessions are conducted three times (before, during, and after the study-abroad program) and students can plan their actions based on the result of their Global Core Competency. After receiving feedback from supervising teachers, students will refine and put their plans into action. Assessment is made by comprehensively evaluating the development of the student’s Global Core Competency based on their participation attitude, presentation during the program, and report after the program.

After returning to Japan students set personal goals for TOEIC test and continue learning even after they completed the program.

For details of START/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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