This project is designed to help the University of the Ryukyus and Micronesian colleges conduct civic participation programs, student exchanges, and joint research by teachers seeking solutions for common issues faced by island countries. Through these activities, the project also aims to facilitate exchange between Micronesian countries and Japan. In fiscal 2008, the University of the Ryukyus held a writing contest for high school and university students from the Amami Islands and Okinawa on the theme of "Island Issues and Development." Six successful high school students were invited to Guam August 19-26, 2008 to discover local facts regarding environmental issues and tourism development.
The project also invited 12 students and teachers from six Micronesian colleges such as the College of Micronesia-FSM, Palau Community College, the University of Guam, the Guam Community College, the College of the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Marianas College to Okinawa October 8-15, 2008 to observe US base activities and learn about local environmental issues as well as to participate in a workshop. In the workshop, Japanese high school students reported on their experiences in the training program in Guam, while six college students from Micronesia made a presentation regarding climate change and issues related to the US bases.
After the presentations, students discussed commonly faced issues such as environmental problems and tourism in island countries, helping to deepen these exchanges.
With collaboration from the University of Hawaii, the University of the Ryukyus offered a lecture via a distance learning course provided by the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Hawaii on a trial basis. In addition, the College of Natural and Applied Science of the University of Guam and the University of the Ryukyus agreed to carry out ongoing research collaboration on the impact of land erosion due to slash and burn agriculture on oceanic pollution.
Over a period of three years, the project sent Japanese students from Amami and Okinawa to Palau, the Marshall Islands and Guam every year, while inviting students and teachers from six colleges in the Micronesian region to visit students and local residents of Amami and Okinawa islands. These activities expanded educational opportunities for Japanese and Micronesian students who participated in the exchange, while deepening mutual understanding through the study of tourism and issues common to island countries, such as environmental problems. Local media proactively reported on actual exchanges and the results of the training programs the Japanese students had taken in island countries, introducing these activities as initiatives to tackle issues commonly faced by island countries. In addition, spurred by their participation in this project, Micronesian colleges began to discuss the implementation of inter-college collaboration and exchange programs using a satellite systemThis project is designed to help the University of the Ryukyus and Micronesian colleges conduct civic participation programs, student exchanges, and joint research by teachers seeking solutions for common issues faced by island countries. Through these activities, the project also aims to facilitate exchange between Micronesian countries and Japan. In fiscal 2008, the University of the Ryukyus held a writing contest for high school and university students from the Amami Islands and Okinawa on the theme of "Island Issues and Development." Six successful high school students were invited to Guam August 19-26, 2008 to discover local facts regarding environmental issues and tourism development.
The project also invited 12 students and teachers from six Micronesian colleges such as the College of Micronesia-FSM, Palau Community College, the University of Guam, the Guam Community College, the College of the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Marianas College to Okinawa October 8-15, 2008 to observe US base activities and learn about local environmental issues as well as to participate in a workshop. In the workshop, Japanese high school students reported on their experiences in the training program in Guam, while six college students from Micronesia made a presentation regarding climate change and issues related to the US bases.
After the presentations, students discussed commonly faced issues such as environmental problems and tourism in island countries, helping to deepen these exchanges.
With collaboration from the University of Hawaii, the University of the Ryukyus offered a lecture via a distance learning course provided by the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Hawaii on a trial basis. In addition, the College of Natural and Applied Science of the University of Guam and the University of the Ryukyus agreed to carry out ongoing research collaboration on the impact of land erosion due to slash and burn agriculture on oceanic pollution.
Over a period of three years, the project sent Japanese students from Amami and Okinawa to Palau, the Marshall Islands and Guam every year, while inviting students and teachers from six colleges in the Micronesian region to visit students and local residents of Amami and Okinawa islands. These activities expanded educational opportunities for Japanese and Micronesian students who participated in the exchange, while deepening mutual understanding through the study of tourism and issues common to island countries, such as environmental problems. Local media proactively reported on actual exchanges and the results of the training programs the Japanese students had taken in island countries, introducing these activities as initiatives to tackle issues commonly faced by island countries. In addition, spurred by their participation in this project, Micronesian colleges began to discuss the implementation of inter-college collaboration and exchange programs using a satellite systeThis project is designed to help the University of the Ryukyus and Micronesian colleges conduct civic participation programs, student exchanges, and joint research by teachers seeking solutions for common issues faced by island countries. Through these activities, the project also aims to facilitate exchange between Micronesian countries and Japan. In fiscal 2008, the University of the Ryukyus held a writing contest for high school and university students from the Amami Islands and Okinawa on the theme of "Island Issues and Development." Six successful high school students were invited to Guam August 19-26, 2008 to discover local facts regarding environmental issues and tourism development.
The project also invited 12 students and teachers from six Micronesian colleges such as the College of Micronesia-FSM, Palau Community College, the University of Guam, the Guam Community College, the College of the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Marianas College to Okinawa October 8-15, 2008 to observe US base activities and learn about local environmental issues as well as to participate in a workshop. In the workshop, Japanese high school students reported on their experiences in the training program in Guam, while six college students from Micronesia made a presentation regarding climate change and issues related to the US bases.
After the presentations, students discussed commonly faced issues such as environmental problems and tourism in island countries, helping to deepen these exchanges.
With collaboration from the University of Hawaii, the University of the Ryukyus offered a lecture via a distance learning course provided by the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Hawaii on a trial basis. In addition, the College of Natural and Applied Science of the University of Guam and the University of the Ryukyus agreed to carry out ongoing research collaboration on the impact of land erosion due to slash and burn agriculture on oceanic pollution.
Over a period of three years, the project sent Japanese students from Amami and Okinawa to Palau, the Marshall Islands and Guam every year, while inviting students and teachers from six colleges in the Micronesian region to visit students and local residents of Amami and Okinawa islands. These activities expanded educational opportunities for Japanese and Micronesian students who participated in the exchange, while deepening mutual understanding through the study of tourism and issues common to island countries, such as environmental problems. Local media proactively reported on actual exchanges and the results of the training programs the Japanese students had taken in island countries, introducing these activities as initiatives to tackle issues commonly faced by island countries. In addition, spurred by their participation in this project, Micronesian colleges began to discuss the implementation of inter-college collaboration and exchange programs using a satellite system