Miriam College President Dr. Rosario Lapus recently visited three of Miriam’s partner schools namely, Seisen University in Tokyo, Kobe College in Kobe, and Fuji Women’s University in Sapporo. She also visited Hakuho Girls High School in Yokohama to lay the groundwork for potential student and faculty exchange programs.

Dr. Lapus met with Hakuho Girls High School Principal Mrs. Satoh and Head of International Division Mr. Akaoka to discuss plans for a short course for Miriam College High School students in their campus in the coming school year.  The partnership was forged when Dr. Lapus met Hakuho’s Foreign Affairs Coordinator, Carol Lui, during the Global Forum on Girls’ Education organized by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) in New York.

In Tokyo, Dr. Lapus met with Seisen University President and Professor Akira Sugiyama to discuss the possibility of sending Seisen students studying to be Nihongo teachers to Miriam College for their internship.  She also met with the school’s Vice President and Professor Yuko Kitsunezuka; International Center Director and Professor Etsuko Saito; Department of Global Citizenship Studies Chair  and Professor Dr. Shun Ono, International Center Manager Natsuko Kambayashi, and exchange student Taki Yonemori.

Dr. Lapus’ third stop was at Kobe College where she met with the school’s President Katoko Saito, International Programs Center Director Masahito Takahashi, International Programs Center Head Kiyoshi Kadoya, among other officials, to discuss other avenues for partnerships and exchange programs. Miriam College has an existing partnership with Kobe College, wherein it admits one student for a full semester per year. In October, the school is sending an MC student to Kobe College for its annual Japanese Language Learning and Culture Program.

At Fuji Women’s University, Dr. Lapus met newly-appointed President Dr. Hans-Jurgen Marx, SVD. Also present were the University’s Vice President, Yoshihiro Fuji, MD, PhD, and Humanities Professor, Akemi Ito. They discussed the possibility of developing an exchange program for students studying Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Photo above shows Dr. Lapus at Seisen University with Prof. Kitsunezuka, Prof. Saito, Prof. Sugiyama, Prof. Ono, and exchange student Taki Yonemori.