We are delighted to share that we have welcomed a new international student to our university this semester. We are honoured to have Anna, from the University of Gdańsk in Poland, as our first-ever Japanese major student from Poland and our first Polish student to join us during the spring semester. We extend a warm welcome to Anna!

In addition, we are pleased to see the return of five exchange students from last semester. Currently on campus are two students from the Soyol Erdem University in Mongolia and three students from the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University in Thailand. We are grateful for their presence on our campus and wish them a successful and enriching semester.

On May 22, Anna met with President Keiko Tomita, accompanied by Professor Reiko Iino, who oversees our Japanese language education program. During the meeting, she talked about her motivations for attending Tokiwa University and shared her aspirations for her future career.

We recap our Talk Time program that began in May as a language exchange program to foster cross-cultural understanding among Japanese students and exchange students. During its operation, our Japanese students had the opportunity to interact with exchange students who served as teachers, expanding their knowledge of various cultures. The languages taught this semester were Thai, Mongolian, Ukrainian, and Polish. The program provided a unique platform for exchange students to enhance their Japanese language skills.

Through Talk Time, Japanese students were able to develop essential skills, including how to introduce themselves, learn handy phrases for travelling, and gain insight into local customs, foods, attractions, and trends from the exchange students' countries of origin. This exchange helped broaden their global perspectives and provided a rich cultural experience.