Japan Foundation Funds Study Abroad Experience at UW-River Falls

Dec. 21, 2012— The Japan Foundation, an organization established by Japanese Government in 1972 to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the rest of the world, recently awarded UW-River Falls a grant of $46,000 to fund a study abroad program "Japan Study Tour: Evolution of Japanese Civilization and its Modern Transformation."  

The Japan Foundation will provide up to 15 UWRF students with a scholarship of $2,500 and other travel subsidies, reducing the study tour cost for each student from more than $5,000 to less than $2,000. This is the first time that UWRF has received funding from the Japan Foundation.   

The funded Japan Study Tour will take place May 16-28, 2013, during which the students will visit Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Nara, Kyoto, Himeji and Hiroshima, and meet with Japanese college students and faculty.  Before their trip to Japan, the students will attend nine 75-minute lectures to learn Japanese history, culture and the US-Japan relationship in modern era.   

Zhiguo Yang, professor and chair of the History and Philosophy Department, drafted the application and funding request in collaboration with Molly Van Wagner of the Grants and Research Office and Brent Greene of Global Connections. To date, nine students have applied for the scholarship.  Interested students should contact Yang to find out how to apply for the remaining funding.   

In his grant letter, Hiroyasu Ando, president of the Japan Foundation, expressed his hope that this grant would enable UW-River Falls to successfully carry out "valuable efforts toward promoting better understanding and collaboration between the people of our two countries."   

For more information, contact Yang at 715-425-3164 or zhiguo.yang@uwrf.edu.