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Opting to Go Overseas

Matsubara Yoshitomo (Akashi National College of Technology)

Good afternoon, everyone! Have you ever been overseas? I attended my college’s study abroad program at the University of California, Irvine last summer, and that was my first time to travel overseas. It was only 3 weeks, but the experience had me noticing great differences between Japan and America such as culture, points of view, and higher education systems. In particular, America’s higher education system gave me quite a shock. The experience led me to search for information about study abroad for graduate courses.

So, I have a question, “Do you know about the realities of study abroad for graduate courses?” If you know these realities, it will be easy for you to study abroad for obtaining further degrees after graduation.

It is said that you need a very large sum of money in order to study abroad and it seems difficult to enter foreign universities. But, students at colleges of technology, or KOSEN students if you will, are not sure of the details about study abroad. They would not think of a foreign university as a realistic course of study after graduation from the start.

However, they would think about it if they had more opportunities to learn about studying abroad for pursuing further degrees. Unfortunately, there is a lack of applicants for studying abroad to obtain degrees because there is little encouragement to do so.My main purpose in this speech is to propose that each KOSEN make opportunities to teach students the realities of study abroad for obtaining degrees. So, I will talk about these realities which KOSEN students face regarding study abroad, the necessity of study abroad for us and the effect of our study abroad on the industrial world. Then, please consider study abroad for yourself and how to make opportunities for KOSEN students to know the realities of study abroad.Now, moving on to the realities of study abroad for KOSEN students: The perceptions I am about to describe are all based on the results of a questionnaire, which was given to advanced course students in my KOSEN.

First, let’s consider how many advanced course KOSEN students, in fact, want to apply for study abroad to pursue further degrees. According to the survey results, about 40% of the students want to study abroad; and, they do hope to obtain degrees from their study abroad experience, if it is possible. Forty percent!

Well now, let’s focus on why they hope to study abroad in full-degree programs.

Many of them showed an interest in “travelling overseas,” “improving their language ability,” “living overseas” and “exchanging ideas with foreigners.” And now, most of these concepts are necessary for all of us who will become engineers and support the future industrial world.

But, in the present circumstances, students do not understand whether it is possible for them or not because they do not know the realities of study abroad. Next let’s look at non-applicants.

According to the results of the questionnaire, the reasons why many KOSEN students do not hope to go abroad are quite consistent. The reasons are “high costs,” “language barriers” and “difficult living conditions in foreign lands.” And, when asked specifically, “What problems prevent you from studying abroad to get a degree?” most of the respondents answered, “high cost.”

This is surely a serious problem. But, in the case of graduate schools of science, tuition is often not a problem but a merit even in comparison with Japanese graduate school fees. This is because many graduate schools of science in America have established systems in which you are exempt from tuition fees, and you receive paid living expenses, if you work in a laboratory of a graduate school as a Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant. In other words, it is actually possible that you can study at a more excellent foreign graduate school and at a lower cost than at a Japanese one.

Up until now, I have talked about the realities for KOSEN students regarding study abroad. Next, let’s turn to the necessity of study abroad for us, as KOSEN students.

KOSEN students are often shocked by many differences when they go to other KOSENs near their own. So, they must be that much more shocked in a foreign university and their shock must be immeasurable. In fact, when I went to America, I was shocked by many great differences from the culture of not taking off your shoes in a house to higher education systems with rich financial aid, equipment and talent.

KOSEN students need to get out of their box, see what the rest of the world is like and learn from it.

Finally, please allow me to expand on the effect of study abroad on the industrial world, which experienced study abroad participants often claim.

After their study abroad, they often say that they have “acquired a broad range of abilities throughout fulfilling their course work and research life,” “developed their English presentation and discussion ability” and “recognized Japan’s good points more clearly.” These are the very kinds of experiences KOSEN students need, and the future industrial world will demand this experience from them.

I’d like to conclude by stating that the reality is: Opportunities to pursue higher education degrees in foreign countries are vast and funding is available! So, KOSENs should know these facts and make opportunities to share these facts with their students. In addition, KOSENs should encourage their students to study abroad in preparation to enter the future industrial world.