The University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business Administration and Senshu University in Japan are currently celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the exchange partnership between the two schools. As part of the celebration, Dr. Yutaka Takahashi, dean of international academic affairs, and Yuta Yazawa, deputy associate manager and study abroad coordinator at Senshu, visited UNL for five days of meetings and cultural exchange.

The visit marked Takahashi’s first trip to Lincoln. He was excited to finally see the campus where many Senshu students have studied.

“We have enjoyed our partnership with Nebraska,” Takahashi said. “Many excellent students, as well as researchers such as Dr. Scott Fuess (Karl H. Nelson Professor of Economics and department chair) have visited us, and in turn lots of our students come here. It is a wonderful exchange that helps our students learn English and also experience the culture.”

Yazawa had visited Nebraska three years ago, but wanted to return to honor the occasion of the anniversary. He also wanted to repay a visit from Fuess, who visited Japan in December.

“We wanted to show our appreciation and meet the people who have an impact on our students,” Yazawa said. “The exchange of students and faculty over the years has been very beneficial. When Dr. Fuess taught his class at Senshu, it was in English, which gave our students the experience of a real American college class.”

Fuess has lectured in Japan many times and believes students from both countries demonstrate great ambition by participating in the program.

“It’s always exciting to teach ambitious students,” Fuess said. “They’re eager to rise to the challenge of being taught in another language and if you’re an instructor you always want that.”

In addition to meeting CBA faculty such as Fuess, Takahashi and Yazawa were also given a tour of the new CBA building construction site, visited the UNL Japanese studies program and had dinner at Old Chicago restaurant in the Haymarket with CBA students and Jennifer Mostek, assistant director of international engagement and advising at CBA.

Mostek believes the Senshu study abroad program offers something unique for CBA students.

“The Senshu program is one of our most impactful because our students spend three months there immersed in the culture,” Mostek said. “They are given a local roommate and get so much intensive Japanese language and cultural opportunities that when they return to Nebraska they have a deeper appreciation of the culture. We see many of them go back to Japan to work.”

Fuess has seen Nebraska students blossom by studying in Japan.

“The Senshu program develops our student’s skills in terms of being attentive, creative and enterprising, which are all things you would want from a good business major when they’re looking for a job. If you can stand out as someone who can make good decisions in unfamiliar circumstances, that’s someone who can be very useful to any organization,” he said.

For more information about the Senshu study abroad program, go to: http://cba.unl.edu/current-students/study-abroad/japan/ Published: February 17, 2016