Scholars from developing nations have deepened their learning through the links between JICA and universities. Today, they are playing active roles in either their home country or Japan.
To Contribute to Peaceful Bilateral Relations:
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang
At a Buddhist temple in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. She visited Vietnamese migrant communities on an internship in 2017, where she learned about the support measures Hyogo Prefecture offers.
Vietnam
After working as an English teacher, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang studied at Vietnam Japan University as one of their first intake of students, and is now in the doctoral course at Kobe University. Her achievements are a testimony to her impressive ambitions.
"I was fortunate enough to secure a job teaching in my study field of English, but it also circumscribed my viewpoints and the approaches available within my field. I felt a more interdisciplinary approach was needed in order to tackle pressing global problems and achieve personal development. Searching for a new path to take, I came across Vietnam Japan University," reflects Ms. Nguyen.
It seems that she had some worries about enrolling in a newly established university, but, as Ms. Ngyuen explained, "Vietnam Japan University emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach for sustainable development which was highly attractive to me. Moreover, the university is a collaboration between Vietnam and Japan involving top universities and supported by JICA. This meant I could access the high-quality education of Japan, but also have it integrated with education in Vietnam. Considering I would also be receiving guidance from experts in sustainable development, and have the total support of JICA, it was an easy decision to enroll."
Her specialization at Vietnam Japan University was Area Studies (Vietnam), a topic she had not previously studied. There were some difficulties with tackling this new field, but she received support from her instructors, both Japanese and Vietnamese, and learnt a lot. She says she was particularly impressed by the instructors' perseverance and their research careers. "I experienced both the Japanese and Vietnamese perspectives in these studies. The impressive levels of effort by the Japanese faculty and their underlying passion for academia, combined well with the flexible approach to problems of the Vietnamese faculty. They were complementary like the right and left hand. Likewise, I aspire to be able to use both those hands well on a daily basis." Ms. Nguyen notes she is still in contact with some of her instructors.
After graduation, she got a MEXT Scholarship from Japan and entered the doctoral program at Kobe University. Her current research field is the protection and support of Vietnamese workers in Japan. This is a complex and topical theme, but Ms. Nguyen is undaunted: "I want to do whatever I can to contribute to improving the policies related to hosting workers in Japan and the relationships between Japanese employers and Vietnamese workers. I believe that deepening mutual understanding and an increasing wealth of cooperation based on harmony between our two countries, will allow Vietnam to achieve sustainable development," she adds, touching on her hopes for the future.
Ms. Nguyen interviewing Vietnamese workers (left)
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang
MEXT Scholarship Student, Kobe University
From Vietnam. After learning English at university, she enrolled in the Area Studies master's program at Vietnam Japan University, specializing in Vietnam. In 2018 she was awarded a MEXT Scholarship to study in Japan, where she is presently researching international labor migration at Kobe University.
About Vietnam Japan University
An international-level university that symbolizes friendship between Japan and Vietnam. It opened in September 2016, in accordance with the joint Japan-Vietnam declaration. At present, it has eight master's course programs. JICA has been providing technical cooperation since 2016, establishing and operating master's courses with the collaboration from seven universities in Japan. JICA's role includes cooperating the development of the university's organizational system, dispatching Japanese teaching staff, and providing internships in Japan.
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