Student Column

 1. Joseff Casilag
 (NUPACE autumn 2019 – spring 2020)
 majoring in Health and Medical Science at
 the University of Adelaide, Australia

I am grateful that Nagoya University's NUPACE program and the JASSO scholarship gave me the opportunity to experience it. Japan was always a personal goal for me to experience at least once in my life, but never did I think I was going to actually live there until this past year. Studying at Nagoya University was a unique experience; I was able to meet people from all over the world and learning from each other their cultures and values. It was a learning environment full of different ideas and perspectives that I have since been applying in my daily life. I also formed friendships with many people that to this day I still communicate with. Furthermore, the staff are always very supportive, helping us through everything we need support for. Be it the documentation we need to ensure a comfortable stay in Japan or even our own little personal needs, the NUPACE staff have gone above and beyond to ensure we are supported. I'm thankful for the friends and staff that I've met while on exchange.
Living in Japan is an experience I will never forget. I learned so much about Japanese culture, language, and the differences in daily life to what I am accustomed to. The people were very accommodating, and it was a very comfortable environment that I was never feeling homesick. It was wonderful to go to so many different places, trying out and learning something new all the time.
Thanks to the NUPACE program, I have made it a personal goal to experience life in Japan again, hopefully for a much longer time.

 2. Zhi Jie Foo,
 (NUPACE autumn 2019)
 majoring in Economics at
 the National University of Singapore

Admittedly, Nagoya University was not my choice for an exchange, but that did not hinder my intent to experience living in Japan, as well as getting to know more local students. Even though I was plagued by my sub-par proficiency in Japanese, prior knowledge of the culture and stepping out of my comfort zone helped me greatly to ease in during the initial phases, e.g., municipal office processes, subway student concession pass, befriending local students during events, etc.
Through the course of the one semester, I joined “Helpdesk” and proceeded to aid in the organisation and execution of a few activities, made lasting friendships with a few exchangers and many local students, some of whom I'm still in contact with a year in. To those who know me during the semester, one could say that the semester felt like a speed-run of several courses of anime. Full of emotions, unpredictability and full of fond memories, leaving you to feel the momentary emptiness when you realise you have to return home after the send-off that was full of emotions at Chubu airport.
To the future NUPACErs, if you're reading this and are coming to Nagoya University for exchange, try to step out of your comfort zone and experience things you can't do back home; it will make your exchange a once in a lifetime experience. If you have a similar goal as me, even if you do not know how to speak the language, as long as you're willing to try, I'm sure you're be able to befriend numerous local students, be it from ACE, Helpdesk or even those not involved in clubs that plan activities for exchangers, and may even make long lasting friendships and memories that won't be forgotten.

 3. Li Yun,
 (NUPACE autumn 2019 – spring 2020)
 majoring in Vehicle Engineering at
 Jilin University in P.R. China,

I have to say that NUPACE is so impressive, both in lifestyle and academics, after being a NUPACer for one year. If you love Japanese culture and want to experience the real learning life in Japan, then you will find NUPACE is just so wonderful! I can still remember the first time I took the subway in Japan; I just couldn't believe it's true, everyone around me was speaking Japanese rather than my native language, and I realized that there's no doubt that I am in Japan and will spend one year here; it's so good for those who love Japanese culture very much!
The Japanese people are so friendly, and the environment is so clean. NUPACE organises so many activities for students, during which you will have a lot chances to get many foreign friends and practice English or Japanese. Even due to COVID-19, NUPACE still organized some online-meetings, and thanks to it, I made some Japanese friends and we are still in contact even after I returned to my home-country! As a NUPACer, you also have chances to live in a real Japanese family for several days to experience the real Japanese family life! During holidays, the JR line has discounts for students, so if you like travelling, never miss the good chance; Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and so on, are so beautiful!
The faculty members of NUPACE are so friendly and the professors in Nagoya University so dedicated, they can always give me the best answers whenever a question is thrown at them. Most of them are leaders in their fields, and they will introduce some latest research area, which benefitted me a lot. I also want to recommend the sado-bu, a student club where you can learn the tea ceremony; members here are so friendly and they led me into the world of tea ceremony.