Message from Executive Director

I recently spoke via Zoom with a friend for 20 years who has lived in Mexico. He has cross-appointment contracts with universities in Mexico and the UK and regularly travels between the two countries. During our conversation about his expected return to the UK, he mentioned that he was planning to move to a city that is about 200km away from his workplace. Then, looking at me somewhat surprised, he added, half resignedly, "You know, for me, the train car during the commute is my office." We then both laughed.

During our joint research project, he and I rode on the British Rail's Inter-city about ten years ago. He said he was more productive and focused while working on the train. As for me, I dozed off due to jet lag, and because he was so focused on work, we missed our destination. It was a funny story, but despite experiencing similar situations many times, he still plans to live far away from his workplace and use his commute time for work.

Thanks to the development of communication technology, the physical distance in communication have lost its meaning. However, face-to-face contact always involves profoundly touching the subtleties of the mind of friends with various sensitivities. For students aspiring to study abroad, I hope you will have as many opportunities as possible to experience such interactions. The friendships nurtured in this way will become valuable assets for a lifetime.

The International Centre is the core of international exchange at our university, established to make your study abroad experience fruitful. Through exchange agreements with approximately 200 global partners across the entire university and its departments, we provide strong support for your study abroad and promote the internationalization of the campus by accepting over 600 international students. We hope that many students at our university will enjoy communicating with friends from around the world beyond the framework of Japan.

Spring, 2023
Executive Director of International Center
Masayoshi Noguchi