A total of 14 students from Faculty of International Studies of Culture, Faculty of Economics, and Faculty of Commerce took advantage of the Challenge Month after the end of the fourth quarter to participate in short-term study abroad programs at partner institutions: the Michigan State University English Language Center (USA) and the University of North Texas Intensive English Language Institute (USA).
We interviewed two students about their experiences studying abroad!
Koichiro Uto, a second-year student Faculty of International Studies of Culture Department of International Studies of Culture (Kajiki High School)
■ Overview
Period: February 4th (Wed) - March 4th (Wed), 2026
Study destination: Michigan State University (MSU) English Language Center
■Reflections on studying abroad
MSU attracts many students from all over the world, and I participated in this program because I wanted to deepen my understanding of different cultures as well as improve my English skills by interacting with students who have diverse values in such an environment. In the program, I engaged in language learning through discussions and group work. In class, there were many opportunities to actively express my opinions, which I found difficult at first, but gradually I became more confident in communicating in English. In addition, there was an opportunity to interact with local students who are learning Japanese through JELE (Japanese English Language Exchange) twice a week, which was a valuable opportunity to talk about each other's languages and cultures. Through various exchange activities such as watching university sports, I was able to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, and I feel that my perspective has broadened greatly, as I learned not only the importance of taking initiative and respecting different cultures, but also the importance of taking initiative. In the future, I would like to use the international perspective and communication skills I gained from this experience to grow while collaborating with people from various countries and cultures.
Tera, 3rd year student, Department Faculty of Economics Department of Economics Saki Moeha (Kokoro Mirai High School)
■ Overview
Period: February 3rd (Tue) - February 27th (Fri), 2026
Study Abroad Destination: University of North Texas (UNT) Intensive English Language Institute *Joint program with Kwassui Women's University
■Reflections on studying abroad
I participated in this program after winning the top prize in a course at Stanford e-KyuSan-U, part of
Global Leadership Program(GLP). While there, I took two classes: "Writing" and "Communication." In the "Writing" class, I mainly focused on grammar and composition, while in the "Communication" class, I studied reading, listening, and vocabulary, and at the end of each lecture, I challenged myself to give a presentation. There were many assignments every day, but I made sure to complete each one and consciously worked to acquire new expressions and knowledge. Through this study abroad experience, the hurdles I felt in speaking English and expressing my opinions have been lowered, and I have also gained confidence in my listening skills. There were times when I felt frustrated because I couldn't communicate well, but based on this experience, I would like to continue the habit of speaking my mind. Also, like the people I met at the language school who are challenging themselves in various ways regardless of age, I would like to continue to actively challenge myself in things that interest me.
[Faculty of International Studies of Culture / Faculty of Commerce / Faculty of Economics / Center for International Affairs]
