Arab News, Dubai

Representatives from six of Japan’s universities will participate at an education event in Abu Dhabi to attract the brightest Emirati students to Japan.

According to a statement released by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), the six universities participating in the event include Joshibi University of Art and Design, Kyushu University, Nagoya University, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokai University and Japanese Language Education Center of Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO).

They will be exhibiting at the Japan pavilion at this year’s NAJAH Abu Dhabi higher education event to be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1. 

Since the opening of the JICE Abu Dhabi Office in 2013, the number of Emirati students studying in Japan for both degree and non-degree programs has increased from 85 students in 2013 to 133 students in 2018.

The Japanese higher education promotional initiative, spearheaded by JICE, offers opportunities for UAE students and their families to directly engage with representatives from reputable global institutions.

They offer a range of Japan’s technological, commercial, artistic and humanities courses, coupled with the opportunity to experience Japan’s unique culture and lifestyle. It will be the seventh time JICE participates at NAJAH – the UAE’s leading higher education event.

One university to regularly participate at NAJAH is Tokai University, which currently hosts 120 students from the Gulf Countries, including 37 students from the UAE. Founded in 1942, Tokai University consists of seven campuses, which are comprised of 21 schools and colleges with 79 departments.

The university provides a wide range of support for international students through its International Education Center, including the availability of prayer spaces on campus, and the serving of Halal food at university cafeterias.

The university also offers the “Tokai Cool Japan Program”, which is perfect for those seeking short summer courses in Japan, which are taught entirely in English.

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is a leading multicultural tertiary institution in Japan, with nearly half of its enrolled students heralding from overseas.

The entire curriculum is taught in either English or Japanese, and there are currently 2,906 international students from 91 different countries currently enrolled enjoying the unique bilingual education system.

Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan’s acclaimed women-only art university, will be participating at NAJAH for the third time, aiming to outreach to the UAE’s female student community.

“We are excited to introduce these attractive Japanese universities to students in the UAE. Their academic standards are high and well-recognized globally, and they are welcoming international students from around the world,” Shigeto Aoki, general manager, JICE Abu Dhabi Office said.

“Most of the universities that are exhibiting at the Japan pavilion at NAJAH this year already have a history of receiving several Emirati students, and offer a variety of courses in both English and Japanese,” Aoki said.

During the event, visiting students and their families will receive information about other Japanese universities both from the JICE representatives in attendance at NAJAH, and also directly from members of JASSO.

As a new challenge for this exhibition, JICE will share its unique initiative of collaboration between Japanese industry and academia.