On December 14, Okayama University hosted an online English presentation competition as a part of the Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. The theme of the presentations was “What We Love about our University” and the Okayama University team came in the first place.

This year marks the first iteration of the competition, with twenty-two students from seven universities taking part. The event was co-hosted by the Consortium of Six National Universities in Japan (Chiba University, Niigata University, Kanazawa University, Okayama University, Nagasaki University, Kumamoto University) and the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, which are the collaborative institutions of the Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN. The purpose of this competition was to convey the appeal of Japanese universities to ASEAN countries and to create an international exchange opportunities between Japan and ASEAN.

The competition was officiated by Okayama University Vice President for International Affairs SUZUKI Takayoshi, who opened the event by welcoming participants and encouraging presenters. In addition, Professor KADOTA Isao from the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, participated as a competition judge, while international student INGYIN Phoo (second year, Discovery Program for Global Learners) participated as a moderator.

The Okayama University team comprised students enrolled in the Special Course for Global Human Resource Development; namely, MIYAMOTO Ayuha (fourth year, Faculty of Law), OHARA Reika (fourth year, Faculty of Law), MATSUGANO Moeko (second year, Faculty of Letters) and KANEMITSU Mao (second year, Faculty of Law). The students introduced Okayama University according to the themes of SMART・ACTIVE・FREE and were congratulated on their impressed presentation with contents and expression full of originality. Not only did the students communicate in English fluently, demonstrating excellent pacing, but they also drew smiles from the audience with their engaging presentation. At the end of the competition, the Okayama University team was unanimously voted gold award by the judges.

Commenting on the event, participating students noted, “it was a great opportunity to consider the attractiveness of my university”, “I feel like my English presentation skills have improved and I could practice pronunciation and intonation well through this event”, “I enjoyed learning about the different universities from current students and getting access to information that I would not find online”.

Under the Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN, Okayama University is committed to recruiting outstanding ASEAN students by promoting study opportunities in Japan.


○ Study in Japan Global Network Project in ASEAN commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

In 2014, Okayama University was appointed by MEXT for the “Coordinator for Study in Japan Project” in Myanmar with the aim of doubling the number of students from Myanmar studying in Japan over a period of five years. The project was renamed “Study in Japan Global Network Project” in 2018 to expand the target area to throughout ASEAN. The Okayama Japan Educational Information Center (OJEIC) in Myanmar and Study in Japan Regional Office in ASEAN, Bangkok branch play central roles in our efforts to recruit outstanding international students from ASEAN countries.