9 November 1992 Time Abroad Essential Part of University Education Says Japanese Professor

International language and culture contact is an essential part of a well-rounded university education, says Japanese university chief, Professor Gijuro Suzuki, who sees Christchurch as an ideal centre for such interaction.

Speaking at Lincoln University, Professor Suzuki, Vice-President of Edogawa University near Tokyo, said his ambition was for all the students at his university to spend time overseas studying English language and culture. New Zealand was an ideal location, he said because it was within the Pacific region and an affordable destination for students.

He has already started to fulfil his ambition and last year about 60 students from Edogawa University came to Christchurch College of Education for three weeks.

This year 140 students from Edogawa have visited Christchurch and spent time at Christchurch College of English Language and Lincoln University. At Lincoln their programme included work in the University's new language laboratory plus tuition by staff from the College of English Language.

"Home stay" accommodation helped introduce the students to the New Zealand way of life.

Professor Suzuki has visited New Zealand twice before, the first time 18 years ago. He said that Christchurch in particular made a "very strong impression" as a place with an excellent environment for language and culture studies. The city was "more English than England", he said.

While in Christchurch on his latest visit Professor Suzuki has had talks about future exchange arrangements with Lincoln University and the College of English Language. It was a dialogue which, he hopes, will see more Edogawa students coming to the city as an integral part of their university education.

In addition to being Vice-President of Edogawa University, Professor Suzuki is Vice-President of Edogawa Women's Junior College and has an executive role with a Girls' High School, a Junior Girls' High School and a polytechnic, institutions catering for a total of about 7000 students drawn from all over Japan.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.