On October 27, 2017, an information session organized by the international affairs office of the Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai) took place in Lecture Room 2 of the Faculty of Fine Arts on Ueno Campus. It is an annual event for students considering studying abroad to acquire basic knowledge of studying in a foreign country and to learn about scholarship opportunities. In addition, students who have actually studied abroad come to share their experiences, helping participants become more interested in studying abroad. This year’s session was very successful – the lecture room with 70 seats was packed with students, causing some of them to stand at the back of the room during the session. The efforts for globalization by the entire university have started to show results and our students seem to find it more familiar to go abroad for their studies.

The session opened with remarks by Vice President of International Affairs and Campus Diversity, Professor Okamoto. She encouraged the students by saying that they should make best use of studying abroad opportunities for their future success.

Project Professor Itani of the Global Support Center made a presentation covering topics such as the current positions of Japanese universities including Tokyo Geidai in the context of world university rankings and tuition fees at overseas universities, as well as the importance of English language skills.

A staff member of the international affairs office spoke about matters necessary for studying abroad. The participants learned the basics, such as points of contact for consultation, types of study abroad programs, and tips for gathering information, and also actual necessities, such as language requirements, costs, and scholarships, as well as risk management and insurance required while studying in a foreign country.

Subsequently, presentations were made by students who studied overseas between 2016 and 2017 on the Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Three students from the graduate schools of fine arts and music, respectively, shared their experiences including processes up to finalizing their plans for studying abroad and preparations, classes they attended at their respective destinations, impressions during and after the experience, and advice for prospective participants. Their presentations also covered practical information such as how they worked out their budgets utilizing a financial aid by the Tobitate initiative and Tokyo Geidai’s scholarships, and how they managed to learn a foreign language, which the students in the room were attentively listening to.

During the question and answer session following the presentations, the presenters received a spate of questions from the students. The information session seemed to have contributed to elevating their motivation to study abroad.

Thorough various occasions such as this information session, the international affairs office along with the Global Support Center will help students who are considering studying overseas take the first step to realize their dreams.