Student Exchange Goes Virtual as SERC students visit Japan

The traditional student exchange has had to move online, with South Eastern Regional College (SERC) taking part in a virtual visit with Toyama Minami High School in Japan.

The live student exchange, which took place on Wednesday 3 February, involved 20 students and teaching staff from SERC’s Level 3 Travel and Tourism course and an International Studies class from Toyama Minami High School.

Amy Glen (18) from Lisburn, a second-year student on the Level 3 Travel and Tourism said, “I really enjoyed taking part in the student exchange. This was a great opportunity which will benefit me in my course. It has made me aware of different cultural experiences and further developed my interest and understanding of students, just like myself, studying in different countries.”

The students were guided to deliver presentations to each other and ask questions to learn more about each other’s cultures. SERC’s Catherine Anderson, Deputy Head of School, said, “This is a great opportunity to add an international dimension to the Travel and Tourism programmes which will increase the students' understanding of Japanese culture and tourist attractions and develop their communication, research and teamwork skills.” 

Claire Henderson, Head of International, Quality, Excellence and Development at SERC added, “SERC has a 13-year long relationship with a number of educational institutions in Japan including Toyama National Institute of Technology and the University of Toyama.  This new partnership with Toyama Minami High School builds on those relationships and presents many benefits including increasing country and culture awareness and improving the digital and communication skills of all the students involved, particularly during this period of online learning.”

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Caption: Student exchange goes virtual: Level 3 Travel and Tourism student Amy Glen, from Lisburn, who took part in a recent virtual exchange between the College and Toyama Minami High School in Japan. The exchange offered students the opportunity to learn more about each other’s cultures as well as developing communication and digital skills.