PTJC New Gen Japan-Canada Dialogue 2: Mariko Inokuchi - Meiji University

Prince Takamado Japan Centre for Teaching and Research, University of Alberta, is currently working on promoting and celebrating the accomplishments of our academic programs, such as the Japan-Canada Academic Consortium (JACAC) Student Forum, which in the past 12 years has brought together more than three hundred students from both Japan and Canada.

Mariko Inokuchi, a 2014 JACAC Student Forum participant from Meiji University describes her experience during the conference, which was held at her home university in Tokyo, Japan. The forum topic was “Toward a Sustainable Economic and Social Development: Challenges in the Aging Society in Canada and Japan.”

“My learning from JACAC, which is communicating with people from various background, using English, is very beneficial and meaningful in my current job. […] What I learned from JACAC is also very useful [for me personally], which is how to work, effectively among students in small groups and how to motivate students towards the same goal.”

The Japan-Canada Academic Consortium works to promote and encourage a movement of ideas and knowledge between the two countries. The JACAC Student Forum began more than ten years ago. Over the years, it has explored a wide range of important topics including climate change, aging society, the youth and work, immigration and refugee, and global governance. Each forum consists of expert lectures, fieldwork, group work including research study, group presentations, field trip, etc.