Credit Unit 1, General Education
Course Objective
This program offers a collaborative work experience where Japanese and international students are paired together. Its primary objective is for participants to gain a deep understanding of Japanese industries, corporate structures, and work practices through hands-on, on-site experience. By conducting this practical training in Osaki Town of Kagoshima Prefecture, students will confront the various challenges facing the region and explore what is truly needed to bridge the local community with global contexts. This experience will provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on future career paths and approaches to life. Through collaborative efforts to tackle these challenges, both student groups will strive to generate innovative ideas and create new value that transcends existing frameworks.
Learning Tasks
The key learning tasks for this program are:
1. Understand the intricate relationship between industry and the local region, including the advantages, disadvantages, current needs, and future potential of conducting specific businesses within Osaki Town.
2. Thoroughly examine the anticipated benefits and potential challenges that may arise when integrating foreign individuals into local communities and workplaces, and to propose effective solutions for these issues.
3. Analyze insights and lessons gained from the internship experience by comparing them with relevant overseas case studies.
These three tasks require a collaborative approach, necessitating active discussion and cooperation with both your student partner and representatives from the host organizations.
Learning Outcomes
For International Students:
1. Gain a profound understanding of Japanese workplace culture.
2. With the support of a Japanese student partner, learn essential business etiquette, professional knowledge, and practical Japanese language skills, while effectively navigating and minimizing common intercultural misunderstandings.
3. Build valuable networking opportunities with local residents and professionals.
For Japanese Students:
1. Develop a global perspective by engaging in workplace experiences alongside international students and critically comparing them with overseas examples.
2. Enhance crucial skills required for working in a globalized environment by clearly and effectively articulating Japanese workplace rules and values to international students.
3. Critically re-evaluate their own assumptions, ‘common sense,’ everyday habits, and core values pertaining to Japanese workplaces and their own cultural perspectives.
2025 Schedule
• November – December: Participant Recruitment & Pairing
• January: Pre-Internship Learning Sessions (2 x 90 minutes) @ Kagoshima University
□ (1) Preparing for Regional Internships: Mindset and Learning Tasks
□ (2) Addressing Potential Miscommunication in Workplaces Hosting International Participants
• February – March: On-Site Internship Experience (5 days) @ Osaki Town
• May: Joint Debriefing and Reporting Session involving all Participants and Host Company Representatives @ Osaki Town
Cost of Participation
• Accommodation: Your stay in Osaki during the internship will be covered.
• Local Transportation: All necessary transportation within Osaki for program activities will be provided.
Application & Question
Please contact to
Prof. Sumie Nakatani, Global Initiative Center
nakatani@gic.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Application Dateline by 30th November 2025.
