Japanese Studies students interact online with Japanese students.

Senshu University is a traditional and important partner of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, as well as the Department of Japanese Studies. To date, more than 30 students, staff, and lecturers have pursued undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Senshu University. The exchange took place in the form of an online seminar chaired by Prof. Shimane Katsumi (Senshu University), Assoc. Prof. Sugiura Chinami (Ishinomaki Senshu University), and Dr. Vo Minh Vu (University of Social Sciences and Humanities), with the participation of nearly 50 students from the three universities and conducted entirely in Japanese.

Photos from the exchange program with Senshu University and Ishinomaki Senshu.

At this seminar, students from the Japanese Studies department presented two reports on the topics of "The Lonely Death of the Elderly in Japan" and "Society 5.0". Students from Senshu University presented a report on "Charging for Supermarket Plastic Bags and the Millennium Development Goals," while students from Ishinomaki Senshu University presented a report on "Online Learning at Community Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic." These topics attracted significant interest from the students. Following each presentation, students and faculty members from both universities provided feedback, evaluations, and shared additional information to help students gain a deeper understanding of the reports' content.

Photos from the exchange program with Kyoto Sangyo University.

On the afternoon of November 27th, more than 30 students from the Department of Japanese Studies and students from Kyoto Sangyo University jointly organized an online exchange session, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kato Atsufumi (Kyoto Sangyo University) and Dr. Pham Hoang Hung (University of Social Sciences and Humanities).

"Cuisine," "Cinema," "COVID-19," and "Student Activities" were the four topics discussed by the students. During the exchange, students from Kyoto Sangyo University introduced how to prepare some traditional dishes, provided information about the COVID-19 situation in Japan, and created quiz games about films and anime. From the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, students from the Japanese Studies Department introduced the significance of traditional Vietnamese New Year dishes, presented the film "The Scent of Green Papaya," and showcased the "Oriental Night IX" program of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. Students from the Japanese Department also took the time to inform about Vietnam's joint campaign against Covid-19, sharing images of mutual support among Vietnamese people during social distancing and meaningful support activities provided by the University for students such as the "Zero-Cost Supermarket" program, "No Humanities student left behind"...

The students who participated in the exchange program received certificates signed by the heads of two departments: the Department of Sociology, Kyoto Sangyo University, and the Department of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi.

According to Dr. Pham Hoang Hung, in both exchange sessions, the reports and discussions were presented entirely in Japanese. Students from the Japanese Studies Department made an effort to use and improve their Japanese language skills while researching materials, writing reports, and participating in discussions. Besides topics such as culture, economics, and society, both sessions also addressed current social issues, specifically the COVID-19 situation and the responses in both countries. Students from both countries recognized the contemporary and global challenges directly impacting their career paths.

These activities demonstrated the strong cooperative relationship between the Japanese Department and its partner universities in Japan, and also proved that with the development of the internet and the dynamism and enthusiasm of the students, geographical distances and communication barriers between parties can be easily overcome.