Wednesday, July 6, 2011

63rd Japan-America Student Conference

Hi there! This is Courtney and Kuni, thanks for joining us as we travel through Japan as delegates of the 63rd Japan-America Student Conference!
The Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) is a time-honored tradition for young leaders, initiated in 1934 by Tokyo University students concerned by pre-war relations with the U.S. These Japanese students invited a delegation of U.S. students to Japan to openly discuss pressing issues of the day. The following year, American students reciprocated the invitation by hosting a delegation of Japanese students in the U.S. Through the years, this unique cultural interchange has grown in purpose and scope and now includes more than 4,000 alumni on both sides of the Pacific.


This year the 63rd JASC will be held in Japan from July 28th to August 21st, where a group of 36 students from America and 36 students from Japan will meet in Japan to discuss world issues, work together as global citizens to impact the global community, and form relationships that will guide us into the future!



About Kuni and Courtney:         
Last year, Kuni was one of 70 students (35 from each country) selected for the 62nd Japan-America Student Conference that took place in the United States. At the conference, Kuni quickly set himself apart as a leader and was elected to the Executive Board of 16 students in charge of organizing this summer's conference in the Japanese cities of Niigata, Kyoto, Tokyo, and the prefecture of Okinawa. Kuni will also lead a roundtable at the conference on strengthening the ties between nations through comprehensive security, where he hopes to analyze the long-term strategic possibilities for both nations to promote the peace and prosperity of East Asia and the international community. Kuni was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan, and is currently a sophomore at Saint John’s University where he is pursuing a major in Political Science with a focus in International Relations. Here at CSB/SJU Kunii is a resident assistant in Mary Hall, an active member of the International Affairs Club, and will be a part of the Extending the Link team this upcoming school year.
This year, Courtney applied to take part in the 63rd JASC and was accepted from a competitive nationwide pool of applicants. The application process required Kimball to write four essays and submit a transcript, resume, and writing sample. Professors Martin Connell and Richard Bohr also supported her through letters of reference. Courtney is from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and is currently a sophomore at the College of Saint Benedict, where she is pursuing majors in both Theology and Asian Studies, as well as a minor in Japanese. Here at CSB/SJU Courtney is involved with Magis Ministries, intramural sports, and the Student Ambassador program. At the conference she will be a member of the roundtable on globalization, where she will be discussing the insight offered by the theories and paradigms of the past, while at the same time asking what we need to rethink, or what new ideas and theories we must consider, as we attempt to understand the globalizing world.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the following:
The CSB Senate
The SJU Senate
The CSB Office of the President
The SJU Office of the President
The CSB/SJU Asian Studies Department

Thank you so much for all of your support; it is because of you that this has been made possible! Overall we are looking forward to making a difference, and we cannot wait to share our experiences with you when we return!

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