Golf, tennis and swimming are activities you might not find many people doing during Welcome Week, but that’s how the Japan Center for Michigan Universities celebrated its 20th anniversary Sunday.
The JCMU is a study abroad program comprised of 15 public Michigan universities. The center aims to strengthen ties between Japan and Michigan by educating American students in the Japanese language and culture. The exchange program also allows Japanese students to experience life in the U.S.
Guests of the anniversary celebration had a choice of golfing at the Forest Akers East Golf Course and playing tennis or swimming at the University Club of MSU.
More than 2,000 students have used the center’s services in the past 20 years, according to Kate Simon, program coordinator of JCMU.
“We wanted to create an event that the whole family can participate in since we have alum spanning back 20 years,” Simon said. “Our goal was to create a fun and engaging day that would reach out to people of all age levels.”
Dawn Pysarchik, associate dean of International Studies and Programs at MSU, has had the opportunity to watch many of those students gain a better understanding of the world through the JCMU.
“At MSU, we believe that second language skills are a very important part of preparing yourself for the global economy,” Pysarchik said. “At the core of the JCMU is the intensive Japanese language and students have the opportunity to take courses in professional areas.”
In attendance at the anniversary celebration were 46 delegates from Shiga Prefecture, Michigan’s sister state in Japan, as well as the Consulate General of Japan-Detroit, Tamotsu Shinotsuka.
Dr. Glenn Stevens, former executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, worked diligently with state legislators and university administrators to establish the JCMU.
“When this started, it was clearly with the vision that we would have our students learn Japanese,” Stevens said. “From where I sit, there’s no question that (the JCMU) has more than fulfilled its expectations.”
Christopher Stevens, the son of Glenn Stevens, was one of the first students to take advantage of the exchange program in 1989 when the center first began. He is currently the Alumni Representative for the executive committee of the JCMU.
“It was really a life changing experience,” Christopher Stevens said.
“I would recommend students get involved in any international program but specific to the Japan center, it gives students the opportunity to get the total emergence of the culture and create a strong network of friends and business associates.”
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