In oVice, a virtual office and event space platform, 60 international students who studied in Japan in the past from more than 40 countries around the world participated in the “General Meeting of Former International Students”.
The event was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Japan Association for the Promotion of Internalization (JAPI).
The event featured a video message from the Japanese Prime Minister at the time – Yoshihide Suga, presentations by former international students, and an exchange between former international students and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The article is the translation of a post published by oVice Japan – you can find the original here.
All the titles are given for the time of the event (April 2021) and may have changed since. Please refer to official data sources for updated information.
| Event name: | General Meeting of Japan alumni students |
| Date: | Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25, 2021 |
| Organization | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japan Association for the Promotion of Internalization (JAPI) |
| Purpose | There are 216 Japanese alumni organizations in 115 countries around the world, and many former international students are active in a wide range of fields, making use of the experience they gained in Japan. Through the meeting, JAPI aims to build a worldwide network of international alumni and encourage former students from different countries to share their knowledge and experiences with each other. |
Event program
Please note that all the titles are given for the time of the event (April 2021) and may have changed since. Please refer to official data sources for updated information.
- Opening Remarks by Mr. Hayato Suzuki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Co-organizer’s Remarks by Mr. Takayasu Omura, President, Mr. Omura, Representative Director of the Japan Association for Promotion of Internalization (JAPI)
- Video Message from the Japanese Government Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan
- Reports on the activities of Japanese alumni associations in each country Representatives of Japanese alumni associations
- Presentation on the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted by Maki Kobayashi, Director of Public Relations, Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Online Reception Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe
On the day of the event
After opening remarks by Mr. Suzuki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for International Affairs, and Mr. Omura, Representative Director of the Japan Association for Promotion of Internalization, participants listened to a video message from Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan. It stated:
“Due to the global spread of the new coronavirus, it continues to be difficult for people to actually visit Japan and learn about its diverse attractions. If those of you who have firsthand experience of Japan’s charms try to introduce Japanese culture to people around there, it would be really meaningful (since there is no chance to visit Japan during the pandemic. Your information and accurate advice are extremely important for young people who are interested in studying in Japan. We hope that you will continue to support us in our efforts to encourage more talented students to study in Japan.”
In addition, representatives from each of the Japanese alumni organizations shared talks on their activities in Japan.
Maki Kobayashi, General Director of the Public Relations Department of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, gave a presentation on her activities in Japan.
The online reception was attended by the former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe, who interacted with the former international students and took commemorative photos with them.
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