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MSU International - Japan Center for Michigan Universities Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

Japan Center for Michigan Universities Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

Michigan State University officials traveled to the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, Japan in October 1998 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU). Provost Lou Anna Simon, Dean of International Studies and Programs John Hudzik, Associate Dean of International Studies and Programs Dawn Pysarchik, and JCMU Program Coordinator John Hazewinkel met with Japanese school and government officials to reaffirm the strong working relationship that has sustained this unique educational enterprise. They stayed with students in the JCMU residence hall to get an inside view of the institution. During the three-day celebration, an affiliation agreement between JCMU and the University of Shiga Prefecture was signed and a panel of current students and alumni discussed their experiences at JCMU.

Governor Kunimatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Hosts JCMU Tenth Anniversary Reception in Hikone, Japan

MSU administrators joined Japanese officials at a tenth anniversary reception for JCMU. Left to right: Provost Lou Anna Kimsey Simon, host Governor Yoshitsugu Kunimatsu, ISP Dean John Hudzik, ISP Associate Dean Dawn Pysarchik, and the University of Shiga Prefecture President Toshitaka Hidaka.

JCMU is an important component of the 30-year-old sister-state relationship between Shiga Prefecture and the state of Michigan. The MSU Office of International Studies and Programs (ISP) hosts the Michigan office of JCMU on behalf of a consortium of Michigan's 15 public universities and Shiga Prefecture, with support from the state of Michigan and Shiga Prefecture. The Shiga Prefecture was responsible for constructing the educational facilities on the shore of Lake Biwa in the city of Hikone, which is near Kyoto.

JCMU's programs are dedicated to building relationships between Japanese, Americans, and other nationalities through active learning and participation in language, culture, family life, and society. The center's four major program components are:

• An academic study abroad program in intensive Japanese language and culture for American students
• An English language instruction program for Shiga Prefecture citizens and others
• Seminars, workshops, short courses, and conferences to promote educational exchange for professionals and the general public
• A visiting scholar program for university faculty and graduate students who wish to teach and conduct research in Japan

Since JCMU opened in 1989, more than 600 Michigan university students, including 100 from MSU, have benefitted from their studies there.

JCMU is an important component of the 30-year-old sister-state relationship between Shiga Prefecture and the state of Michigan.

In addition to the regularly offered language and culture courses, American students attending JCMU in fall 1999 have the opportunity to take two specialized courses offered by visiting scholars. Yuko Aoyama (University of Georgia, Athens) will teach a course at JCMU on comparative models of industrialization in Japan, North America, and the newly industrializing economies; Helen Parker (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) will teach a course on traditional Japanese drama. In addition to formal courses, students have opportunities for internships and independent study.

For more information about JCMU, visit its Web site at http://www.isp.msu.edu/jcmu

—Dawn Pysarchik and Jay Rodman

Left to right: Dean Joseph Rallo, College of Business, Ferris State University and chair, JCMU Executive Committee, looks on as MSU Provost Lou Anna Kimsey Simon presents a plaque honoring JCMU scholarship donors at the tenth anniversary ceremony to JCMU student representatives Ben McCracken from Northern Michigan University and Johnnie Keck from Michigan State University

MSU Administrators Meet with Thai Alumni in Bangkok, Thailand

During the four-country trip to Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea), ISP Associate Dean Dawn Pysarchik (far left), Provost Lou Anna Kimsey Simon (center), and ISP Dean John Hudzik (far right) met with MSU Thai alumni to update them on MSU academic programs and strengthen alumni relations.

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