On October 30, the Faculty of Economics of Okayama University held the 2nd Overseas Study and Training (Economics Cross-Border Study [ECBO]) Joint Debriefing Session and Explanation Session at the Faculty of Letters, Law, and Economics Lecture Room Building. At the event, students of the Faculty of Economics who participated in programs held from this year’s spring to summer at universities in Southeast Asia and South Korea reported on their language programs, interaction with local students, company visits, and other activities.

Ahead of the report by the students, Dr. SANO Hiroshi, Executive Director for Education and Provost, delivered an opening address. He explained Okayama University’s efforts on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and highly praised the ECBO Program run by the Faculty of Economics for its contribution to the SDGs. This was followed by reports by the students on their study and training in foreign countries. After students reported on the training program conducted in Laos and Myanmar (this February), President MATSUDA Hisashi of the Okayama Chamber of Commerce and Industry introduced the socioeconomic conditions of Laos and Okayama companies doing business in the country, and then offered the students some useful advice.

Students joining training programs held in Brunei, South Korea (short-stay, short-visit [SSSV] program), Singapore, and Malaysia also reported on their respective programs. They gave enthusiastic presentations, stating that the training programs had enabled them not only to improve their language proficiency, but also to deepen their cross-cultural understanding and enhance a wide variety of skills, such as those for international communication.

As part of the debriefing session, an explanation session on future training programs, including those scheduled to be conducted in Myanmar and Laos (in February next year) and in France, the U.K., South Korea, etc. (AY 2020), was also held to call for student participants. The event concluded with a closing address by Dean Chou Seigen of the Faculty of Economics, who expressed his appreciation for the session participants and his expectation for the further development of the ECBO.