Joint Orientation Session Held for KCJS Students and KU Auditing Students

January 13, 2009

A joint orientation session and a lunch party were held at Kyodai Kaikan for Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) students and Kyoto University (KU) auditing students of the 8th KCJS program (January – April, 2009).

At the orientation, James Ketelaar, KCJS Director, delivered a speech, followed by self-introduction by the program’s instructors and explanation of their classes. The KU auditing students also introduced themselves in English, receiving warm welcomes.

An instructor introducing herself	Director Ketelaar delivering a humorous speech
KU auditing students introducing themselves	A lunch party

What is KCJS?

KCJS offers programs for U.S. students to learn about Japan. The programs annually enroll some 50 students at prestigious U.S. universities, providing them opportunities to study in Kyoto in a year-long course starting in autumn, or in a half-year course starting in autumn or spring. In each course, the programs accept some 15 KU students (three per class) as auditing students, allowing them to take classes in English together with U.S. students.

Before the beginning of each course, an orientation session, campus tour and other events are held. The campus tour is offered for U.S. students by KU students. The KCJS programs serve as a good opportunity for KU auditing students not only to take informative classes, but also to develop their English proficiency and expertise, as well as to promote friendship with U.S. students through active participation in field trips and other events.

For KU auditing students, the following two courses are available: the spring course, from January to April (application in the previous November), and the autumn course, from September to December (application in June). Course admission instructions and application forms are posted on the Kyoto University’s website, and are available at the University’s Foreign Student Division.