Beyond Cross-border Education

In December 2015, the TU-FTU Liaison Office was officially founded to increase cooperation between Tohoku University (TU) in Japan and Foreign Trade University (FTU) in Vietnam. In the 3 years since its establishment, the Office has made certain achievements, such as enhancing both engagement among students from the two universities and the relationship between Vietnam and Japan.

Every semester, the TU-FTU Liaison Office organizes the Japanese Language and Culture Class taught by exchange students from Tohoku University for all students at Foreign Trade University, as well as some students from high schools in Hanoi. All the high-quality teaching materials for the classes were fully provided and transported from Japan to Vietnam by Tohoku University. During the class, students not only can learn and practice Japanese together but also have chances to share with one another about each country’s culture. TU Days, with activities like Origami and Furoshiki, and FTU Days, with activities like International Dinner, Hanoi 1-day food tour, and FTU Club’s Day, are held successfully with the enthusiastic participation of a large number of students.

"Thanks to the support I received, I was able to not only learn in an international environment at one of the top universities in Vietnam, but also had the chance to bring the Japanese spirit to Vietnamese students’’ – said Ryota Iwama, an exchange student from Tohoku University to Foreign Trade University, first semester, 2017-2018 academic year. “It is one of the most memorable times of my university life. I left my comfort zone, chose a developing country to visit, and had a unique experience that I could have never imagined.” – he said.

“I used to be a shy student. I never expected that I would have a close Japanese friend like I do today. I sincerely appreciate this friendship.” – said an FTU Vietnamese student. Time flies, but values that are created today will stay and last forever. It is not only educational, but also a chance to build long-lasting international friendships, mutual understanding between the two countries and provides each student unique preparation to become a future global citizen.