[Topics] We held an international exchange program with the University of Georgia through agriculture in Usa City (Oita, Japan).

From May 19 to 22, an international joint training program between the School of Agriculture of Kyushu University and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia in the United States was held.

International Initiatives of the School of Agriculture

The purpose of this integrated program is to learn about food production sites around the world, with 10 students from the School of Agriculture of Kyushu University visiting the U.S. in March and 12 students from the University of Georgia visiting Japan in May.

Details of Implementation

In the host program, the University of Georgia students first visited the major cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima before joining the Kyushu University students in Usa City, which is recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage site. In Usa City, with the full cooperation of the city, the students learned about the current status and challenges of agriculture in Japan and the development of green tourism through visits to livestock farms and agricultural stations, farm stays, and interaction with local residents. On the final day, they presented their learning and experiences at City Hall.
This program was a valuable opportunity for students from the University of Georgia and Kyushu University to experience local cultures in the United States and Japan. It is hoped that continued international co-curricular activities in collaboration with the local community will broaden the students' perspectives and further deepen their cross-cultural understanding, including that of the local community.

Participant Comments

It was an irreplaceable memory for me to visit Usa City, where many good aspects of Japan still remain, with students from the University of Georgia. (Fourth-year student, School of Agriculture)

Faculty

HIROMASA Yasuaki, Associate Professor
KITA Hiroko, Associate Professor
NAKAMURA Mako, Professor