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Okinawa-Pacific Education Network Initiative
6,000,000 yen [Grant Project]
University of the Ryukyus (Japan)
Okinawa and Pacific islands have long maintained close ties, and have acknowledged the necessity of collaboration to tackle common problems in both areas. One such problem is higher education in the islands, and at the 9th International Conference-Islands of the World, the presidents of all Pacific island colleges in attendance (?) confirmed the necessity of collaboration and exchange of people among Pacific island colleges. Under the circumstances, the project aims to promote the exchange of people and collaboration between the University of the Ryukyus and Micronesian colleges such as Palau Community College、College of the Marshall Islands、College of Micronesia-FSM、Guam Community College、University of Guam, and Northern Marianas College. Selected students and faculty will participate in the “Coconut College”, and conduct collaborative research. The results of the project will be disseminated in local newspapers and on the internet.
The first year’s plans are as follows.
- People Exchange
(1) Composition competition
Compositions on a given subject, “water of my island” will be solicited from Micronesian colleges and high schools, and excellent compositions will be selected by the selection committee consisting of selected members of Micronesian higher education institutes and the University of the Ryukyus.
(2) Exchange of Students (10 days in August, 2006)
Six winners of the composition competition will be invited to Okinawa. Five college and/or high school students from the local islands of Okinawa will be selected and sent to Palau.
(3) Coconut College
Six winners of the composition competition will join the Coconut College and discuss the water problems of their islands. Participants will include selected people from educational institutes and citizens of the Yaeyama Islands, Miyakojima, Okinawa, and Amami Islands. People from Penghu Islands educational institutes also plan to join.
- Promotion of Cooperation among colleges
Negotiations will be started to agree upon a treaty between the University of the Ryukyus and Micronesian colleges. The treaty will define collaborative research and distant learning in environmental problems, and culture and education between Micronesian colleges and the University of the Ryukyus.
(1) A researcher from Micronesia will be invited to Okinawa (10 days in June, 2006)
(2) Detachment of 2 researchers from the University of the Ryukyus to Palau and Guam (10 days in September, 2006)
(First year of a 3-year project)
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