On July 5, 2021 Mr. Koichi Hagiuda, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) visited the Japan Campus of Temple University (TUJ). The Minister’s visit marks another milestone in Temple University’s distinguished history in the country. Based in Philadelphia, Temple University has been providing high-quality international education and offering degrees from an internationally acclaimed American university to students in Japan for nearly four decades.
During his visit, Minister Hagiuda initially toured the TUJ campus interacting with students and faculty from Japan, the U.S., and other countries around the world. His tour included classroom observations of practical teaching and hands-on learning in several courses such as Advanced Media Editing, Photography, and Special Topics: Picture Books.
Minister Hagiuda then met with Dean Matthew Wilson and Senior Associate Dean Chie Kato along with Showa Women’s University (SWU) President and Chancellor Mariko Bando, President Natsuko Kohara, and Professor Atsuko Kashiwagi. They discussed the importance of international education and positive impact of ongoing collaborations between TUJ and SWU, including symposiums, student events, joint courses, and even multiple double degree programs.
In light of the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic, the Minister acknowledged the benefits of Japanese students studying abroad and the importance of Japan inviting international students into the country as soon as possible. He discussed TUJ playing an even greater role in this space. Noting the value of international collaborations, Minister Hagiuda took particular interest in the unique double degree programs that enable students to obtain two undergraduate degrees — one from Temple University and one from SWU – in a five year span. Now in its second year, the TUJ/SWU double degree program is experiencing success in building educational bridges, expanding student horizons, and preparing global talent.
Three TUJ students and six TUJ/SWU double degree students also met with Minister Hagiuda during his visit. The Minister began by encouraging the students to continue studying hard despite the difficult conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. One SWU double degree student commented, “When I joined TUJ, I felt that it is very important not only to learn English, but also to discover what to learn in a different language.” Hagiuda replied “Just being able to speak English expands your options in life, so please continue studying a wide range of things. Politicians around the world are speaking English and they don’t wait for translations.” He conveyed the importance of communicating in English to the students by sharing his own experiences.
