The participants accepted in this program have not only the above-mentioned academic opportunities to study environmental issues but also have an opportunity to live on the IUJ campus with other foreign students from nearly forty countries. This is an experience where they can feel social and economic globalization on a daily basis on campus. For those who wish to study Japanese culture and language, there are various opportunities to do so on campus and outside of campus in the area. They can take Japanese language courses on campus and participate in the community-based activities to learn about Japanese culture.
The program will bring participants from different countries and different academic backgrounds who share the same future goal of solving environmental problems. Through interaction with other participants in the program and our faculty members, they will also begin to share their common and sometimes different perspectives on environmental issues in Asia. We hope that this program plays an instrumental role in facilitating discussions on environmental issues and building mutual understanding among participants on the status of the environment in Asia.
In our program, participants will also have a series of opportunities to learn about environmental policy and business in practice through open lectures. The lectures will be conducted by visiting scholars, policymakers, and corporate managers, given in English. The purpose of the lecture series is to deepen the participantsf understanding of environmental issues, to facilitate networking with people working in the environmental area, and to learn about Japanese environmental initiatives. In our view, the knowledge and network built through this program will be valuable assets for participants when they return to their countries after they finish their EPP studies.
Even after the completion of the program, participants can seek research guidance from faculty member concerned if the need arises while they conduct research activities in their own countries. Participants can also join the IUJ alumni association if they wish. By being members of the alumni association, they can be a part of our global alumni network, which is an important benefit of IUJ, for the rest of their lives and receive many benefits such as receiving newsletters for IUJ alumni, utilizing the alumni online directory and participating in alumni gatherings which take place in many countries and regions every year.
