Express Yourself: Filipino students visit Hokkaido University

A group of Filipino students visited Hokkaido University recently to learn more about the plight of international students in the institution. Sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Center, the trip and program was a good opportunity for the students to be exposed overseas. My friends Richard Alorro and Lotis Mopera talked about their experiences studying in Japan. More details below.

Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS Programme) Delegation Visit

On April 19, a delegation of 25 Filipino university students visited Hokkaido University (HU) to interact with HU students and to take a campus tour. The visit was implemented as an international exchange program by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) based on the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths.

The program began with a luncheon at the Kyara-tei Centennial Hall Restaurant and allowed 20 HU students to meet the Filipino students. This exchange opportunity allowed the students to talk with one another in a relaxed atmosphere and many exchanged contact information and took photos together. After lunch, International Student Center Prof. Tomoharu Yanagimachi gave a presentation about HU. Following his presentation, the Filipino students showed their high level of awareness about overseas study by asking for specifics concerning enrollment procedures, scholarship availability, and other matters.

Next, Mr. Richard Diaz Alorro, a Philippine third year doctoral student in the Graduate School of Engineering, and Ms. Mopera Lotis, a first year doctoral student in the Graduate School of Agriculture, gave presentations on their personal reasons for deciding to study at HU and introduced their research. They also introduced topics of interest to the students from their daily lives, such as information on the Filipino community in Sapporo, the local churches, and mosque in the city.. The delegation then took a tour of the HU Museum with Prof. Tetsuya Amano acting as their guide to the exhibits. The Filipino students appeared to enjoy the facility and asked questions about the exhibits and took photos against the backdrop of the exhibits.

HU students attending the luncheon said they found Filipino students very friendly, and that time flew when they were talking about each other's countries. Some students also said they were able to overcome their fear of speaking in English and over the course of the day felt like speaking more. The delegation members remarked that the HU students presented themselves as intelligent, polite, and welcoming. Other students also said that they were impressed by the beautiful campus and the advanced facilities adding that they would like to study at HU.

This visit offered great opportunities for the delegation members to learn about campus life in Japan, and also provided HU students with an invaluable experience of international cross-cultural exchange.