2015 Summer School at Xi'an Jiaotong University concludes (14-28 September 2015)

As part of the FY2015 Short-Term Study Abroad Program under the Agreement on Inter-University Student Exchange (also known as the East Asia Short-Term Study Abroad Program), seven Kyoto University students participated in a Summer School program held from 14 through 28 September at Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in China. The program was based on the Inter-University Student Exchange Agreement between the two universities, and was organized with the full cooperation of XJTU with the objective of developing the curriculum, emergency response measures, and other details.

The wide-ranging program comprised Chinese language lessons and special lectures on local culture and history, taught by members of the XJTU faculty, and field trips to sites related to the topics covered by those lectures, including the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Huaqing Hot Springs, and the Muslim Quarter. Throughout the program, the participants were assisted in all activities by XJTU student volunteers. In addition, the students from both institutions exchanged views on various topics and deepened mutual understanding.

Report from a participating student

Hibiki Nakasone
Group Leader for Xi'an Jiaotong University Summer School
Fourth-year student, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University
(Report presented at a debriefing held on Tuesday 1 October 2015)

From 14 through 28 September, I and six other Kyoto University students representing various years and faculties took part in a Summer School program hosted by Xi'an Jiaotong University. During a tremendously enriching two-week period, we learned about the local language and history from faculty members of the host university, participated in cultural activities, including Tai Chi and calligraphy lessons, and visited popular tourist destinations, such as the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses and Huaqing Hot Springs.

Our Chinese language teachers, from XJTU's Japanese Department, took great care to ensure that all of us, despite our varying degrees of proficiency, would benefit from the lessons. Their lectures were easy to understand and highly engaging, with references to intriguing facts about Chinese culture, so that each of the sessions given over the two-week period seemed to end too soon. Some of the more memorable lessons concerned comparison of Chinese and Japanese languages. For example, by examining the differences between the Japanese particles "ga" and "ha", and between expressions of possibility in the two languages, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of our own language.

The city of Xi'an, formerly Chang'an, has a rich history dating back to several centuries BCE. The Summer School enabled us to visit some of its historical sites, including the city wall, construction of which began during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and which is nearly 14 kilometers long, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor with its "Terracotta Army", and Huaqing Pool (Huaqing Hot Springs), which Yang Guifei (Yang Yuhuan) is said to have frequented. The visits were undertaken in the company of the faculty members who had planned them, and student volunteers, from XJTU. Thanks to the commentary provided by our tour guides and the pre-tour classroom lectures, I felt that I could fully appreciate the depths of Chinese history and culture.

Another highlight of the program was the lavish hospitality we received in the form of extravagant meals -- high-class jiaozi (dumpling) and imperial cuisine -- of the kind that the First Emperor of Qin himself is believed to have enjoyed.

However, what I most appreciated about the Summer School was the time we spent with XJTU students. Between attending classes and working on their graduation theses, volunteer assistants from the Chinese university accompanied us at mealtimes and on our field trips, and even came to karaoke with us on a holiday. Enrolled in XJTU's Japanese Department, they also served as our interpreters on some occasions, such as when listening to a Chinese-speaking tour guide, using their electronic dictionaries to make sure that we correctly understood everything the guide was saying, including highly technical terms. Their dedication to service was incredible. We also benefitted from their assistance when practicing "Farewell Song", which we had decided to sing at the closing ceremony, on bus rides. Thanks to their support, we all learned to sing the song in Chinese.

I and the other six participants will always remember with gratitude the efforts of everyone involved in organizing those activities, and we will work to build on the experiences gained in China in order to develop the skills we need to play active roles in the international arena.

Short-Term Study Abroad Program under the Agreement on Inter-University Student Exchange (also known as East Asia Short-Term Study Abroad Program)

Each academic year, Kyoto University sponsors seven groups as part of its Short-Term Study Abroad Program under the Agreement on Inter-University Student Exchange, in order to provide to students from KU opportunities to take part in exchanges with students from other countries, become more globally minded, and improve their foreign language proficiency. In principle, tuition is free and participating KU students have the same status as visiting exchange students. During 2015, the Program is held as part of Kyoto University's "Rediscovering Japan Through Collaboration in the Open ASEAN+6 - International Human Resource Development Centering on the SEND Program", funded by the Japanese Government under its Re-inventing Japan Project (in the category of "Support for the Formation of Collaborative Programs with ASEAN (Universities)"), and with support from the JASSO (Japan Student Service Organization) Scholarship Program in Important Policy Frameworks, and from the Kyoto University Global Frontier Project for Young Researchers ("John Mung Program").