Japanese Business Students Visit SERC

SERC welcomed visitors from Toyama High School in Japan recently, building on a long-standing relationship the College has enjoyed with the school for many years.

The visitors - students, Minami Oku, Mika Igarashi, Miyu Nagaski, tutor Mio Igarashe and Professor Naruse - travelled to SERC’s Bangor Campus, with funding through the Daiwa Foundation, to take part in Project Based Learning (PBL) with Level 3 Business Studies students.

The visitors particularly enjoyed SERC’s unique introduction to PBL during the College’s annual Expo induction week. This involved teams of students from across the College working together to find solutions to real world problems, in a bid to be crowned Expo 2023 winners, with their efforts marked by a panel of internal and external judges.

SERC promotes collaborative, online problem-solving learning through student exchanges between the two institutions, in partnership with the University of Toyama.   The College has been hosting Toyama student internships for many years, with several Japanese students spending a month in Bangor, whilst SERC students have enjoyed return visits to participate in learning and cultural activities with their Japanese counterparts.

Schools from the Toyama Prefecture in Japan and Northern Ireland have been conducting e-mail exchanges, real-time online communication, and collaborative programming learning in primary and middle schools for over 30 years.

SERC’s virtual Business Studies student exchange with Toyama High School which started during the pandemic was highlighted at the G7 Education Ministers meeting in Toyama in May 2023.

In November 2023, two SERC staff will visit Toyama University, supported by funding through the GB Sasakawa Foundation to share SERC’s approach to Enterprise and Entrepreneurship under the guidance of Professor Naruse.  

Above: SERC Welcomes Japanese Visitors: South Eastern Regional College (SERC) welcomed visitors from Toyama High School in Japan recently, building on a long-standing relationship the College has enjoyed with the school for many years. (L-R) SERC Lecturer, Gillian Auld with Toyama students,  Mika Igarashi, Minami Oku, Miyu Nagasaki and their Teacher, Mio Igarashi with SERC Deputy Head of School, Catherine Anderson.