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Students at Northeastern, Meiji University in Tokyo ‘Have A Lot More in Common Than They Thought

08/10/18 - BOSTON, MA. Students from Meiji University in Japan take classes at Northeastern University as part of an exchange program on August 10, 2018. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University
Photo of students at Meiji University

Gasshuku means “lodging together” in Japanese. The Budo tradition immerses students in a lifestyle of living and learning together for several hours each day.

by Sophia Fox-Sowell

Gasshuku means “lodging together” in Japanese. The Budo tradition immerses students in a lifestyle of living and learning together for several hours each day.

Karin Kobayashi’s gasshuku moment came during a class where Northeastern students in Boston were quick to raise their hands and actively participate.

“Japanese people hesitate to say their opinion or ask questions in public,” said Kobayashi, a political science student from Meiji University in Tokyo. “In the short time I was here, I tried to behave like an American student—it was so fun because every class is based on interactive communication.”

Kobayashi was a participant in Twenty-first century city: Tokyo and Kyoto, an exchange program in which students from Northeastern University and Meiji University traded places and perspectives.

The exchange was part of Northeastern’s Dialogue of Civilizations program, which focuses on intercultural learning and helping students think globally. Northeastern and Meiji University have held a Dialogue of Civilizations program for more than 10 years.

That’s the goal, according to Tom Vicino, a Northeastern professor of political science, public policy, and urban affairs, who co-led this year’s exchange program with Lori Gardinier, a Northeastern professor in the human services program.

Read more here.

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