Twenty-seven Tohoku University students were conferred awards this week by President Hideo Ohno, for their role in the university's internationalisation efforts.
At the ceremony on Katahira Campus, President Ohno spoke of a rapidly changing world and the need for students to face the challenges of globalisation head on.
"While you're a student at Tohoku University, I urge you to not only gain knowledge in your specialized field, but to also take the opportunity to study abroad and participate in programmes that give you the skillset to be a global talent," he said.
"Be someone who knows what's going on in the world, who has flexible thinking skills and is able to see things from a wide range of different perspectives."
Fifteen students received the Global Hagi Scholarship, funds which will go towards study abroad programmes at Tohoku University's partner institutions. The prestigious scholarship is awarded biannually to students with excellent academic records and who are deemed to be good ambassadors for the university abroad.
Ito Keisuke, a 3rd year economics student, gave a speech on behalf of the group. He said that to be an international student, it is not enough to just be a student abroad. True internationalisation only comes if students engage in worthwhile research that can benefit people all over the world.
Also receiving recognition at the ceremony were 12 students who were named Global Leaders. Students receive the Tohoku University Global Leader certification after collecting points from classes and activities that encourage a global mindset. These include participating in study abroad programmes and passing foreign language proficiency tests.
"I'm really proud to get this certificate. The classes and the study abroad programmes were sometimes hard for me, but the experiences were all really good," said Naohiro Kobayashi, a 3rd year engineering student.
The Global Leader Program was started in 2013 as part of the university's efforts to internationalise its curriculum and promote co-learning among students of different cultures. Sixty-seven students have so far been awarded the certificate.
Contact:
Student Exchange DivisionTel: +81-22-795-7820
Email: sab_query
grp.tohoku.ac.jp