De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) recently held the first of many planned conferences showcasing the language and culture of Japan as part of #DMUglobal.
DMU's ground breaking #DMUglobal programme is one of the UK's most ambitious schemes to give students valuable international experiences to help them meet the demands of global employers.
More than 30 students attended the conference which included a whole host of experts from Japan who provided them with unique insights into the language, culture and history of Japan.
David Boydon, Director of Languages at DMU, officially opened the conference as he spoke about DMU’s commitment to ensuring our students are provided with opportunities to engage with various cultures and languages.
This was followed by lectures, demonstrations and discussions on Japanese culture with Akemi Tanaka Solloway, a distinguished lecturer, daughter of an old Samurai family and consultant in the worlds of business, diplomacy, education and the arts.
Students also studied introductory business Japanese with guest language tutors Junko Tamaki and Maki Ueda-Rabone, and assistant Sumiko Torigoe as well as an interactive lecture on the Japanese writing system with Sam Bamkin, Senior Lecturer in Education, and Joanna Dare, Librarian and #DMUglobal Champion.
The event was of particular interest to a number of postgraduate students on the MSc Intercultural Business Communications course at DMU, as they are undertaking a #DMUglobal led placement in Japan with Meisei University while six Education Studies students are taking part in an intercultural field trip to learn more about Education in Japan.
Sam Bamkin said: “It is wonderful for students to get a feel for Japanese culture.
“It’s practical to be able begin a conversation whilst in Tokyo or Izu, but additionally, besides the known affective and attitudinal benefits of study abroad, if just one or two students then go on to study Japanese in great depth, or maintain links with Japan,then that will build future international and intercultural links in time.
“This is part of wider work to globalise the curriculum to ensure that graduates see beyond the confines of a single culture. Let's see what interest and further work grows from this, by us or by students!”
Peter Turay, a final year Advertising and Marketing Communications student, said: “I really enjoyed and appreciated learning the Japanese language, its cultural norms and its heritage today.”
Through #DMUglobal, the university offers a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.
Posted on Friday 13 March 2015