7 December 2012 Learning from disaster - Lincoln students head to Japan

Two Lincoln University students will be making up a New Zealand contingent of 68 heading to Japan on December 9 to study first-hand the effects of the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March, 2011.
 
As part of the Kizuna Project – a youth exchange programme launched by the Japanese government – Michelle Ruske, who has recently completed her Bachelor of Environmental Management and Planning degree, and current Bachelor of Landscape Architecture student, Tim Reed, will spend just over a week in Japan, taking in lectures, visiting disaster areas, and meeting with individuals personally affected by the disaster.
 
Both students see the trip as having real relevance to the chosen fields:
 
“As a planner, the rebuild of Christchurch will feature heavily in my future career. I was prompted to apply for the scholarship knowing that there are lots of lessons which can be learnt from Japan’s experience post-disaster,” says Michelle.
 
According to Tim, “I want to see and learn first-hand from Japan’s recovery response. Not only will it relate to my own experiences, but will be particularly relevant to my studies and future career; especially when thinking about designs with disaster resilience in mind.”
 
The students will spend four days in the badly affected Tōhoku region, and are a little apprehensive as to what to expect; with Michelle anticipating being “quite overwhelmed when confronted with the magnitude of destruction and loss” and Tim expecting a “sobering experience” when presented with the reality of towns having been “swept off the map.”
 
The exchange programme itself is implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Centre (JICE): a public organisation that works closely with aid agencies and a wide range of International bodies, such as UNESCO and UNDP.
 
While the ultimate goal is to promote global understanding of Japan’s revival efforts, it’s also used as an opportunity to increase the awareness of Japanese culture. As such, as well as a short stay in Tokyo, both students will spend some time with a homestay family.