Chubu-OHIO Reflections
Reflections and Memories
In 2023, Chubu University and ĢƵ University are celebrating 50 years of collaboration and friendship. Students, faculty and staff have had opportunities to visit each other’s campuses and interact with individuals from both institutions.
To capture the flavor and importance of these intercultural experiences, we invited our community to share reflection essays through the lens of these dynamic engagements.
Read Essays and check out personal photos from individuals who have engaged with Chubu over the years!
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October 23, 2023
During my time at Chubu, my perspective underwent a monumental shift. My experiences here challenged my pre-existing notions and tore down the privileged lens through which I once viewed the world.
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October 23, 2023
I came to Chubu University in the spring of 2001 to further advance my Japanese studies for the spring semester. A very much humbling experience that had me as the only westerner in my class, the day-in, day-out challenges I faced, especially as a beginner-level student trying to comprehend what my teachers were saying, was truly a blessing in disguise.
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October 23, 2023
My one year study abroad at Chubu University was the most valuable experience I had during my time in college. It drastically changed the way I think about and understand cultures as well as had a huge influence on my career after I graduated.
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October 23, 2023
The celebration of the 50-year friendship between ĢƵ University and Chubu University marks not just a milestone in time, but a testament to the transformative power of cross- cultural exchange.
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October 16, 2023
I was visiting Miura professor April-June 2000. I was impressed by the hospitality given to me. For lodging they provided me with a three-bedroom apartment across from the Nagoya university and a car for transportation.
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October 16, 2023
My visit as a Miura visiting professor to Chubu University at Kasugai, Japan, in 2002, was indeed an unforgettable memory.
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October 16, 2023
I am honored to contribute a short essay on the 50th anniversary of the Chubu University-ĢƵ University friendship. I arrived at the Athens campus of ĢƵ University in June of 1983 as an exchange student from Chubu Institute of Technology.
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October 16, 2023
My decision to go overseas was because my father, Dr. James Gilfert, was the first exchange professor between ĢƵ University and Chubu University (at that time, Chubu Institute of Technology). He went to Japan by himself from Sept 1973 to December 1973. We, the rest of the family (my mother Sara, myself, and my two brothers Ted and Charlie), joined him for his final month. He had written letters home about his initial loneliness and isolation, which prompted him to study Japanese language several hours per day. My reaction on landing at the airport was “Wow, I can’t read anything here! I’ve got to come back!” and “Wow, the people look homogeneous! I’ve got to come back!” On the drive back to Nagoya from Haneda (yes, he chose to drive rather than take the shinkansen), he kept us and himself awake by telling us various anecdotes of his life in Japan.
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October 16, 2023
When I think of my life as a whole, I think of it in three parts: before studying abroad in Japan, during my study abroad, and after studying abroad. The experience was so important and life-changing that it is now how I define my life. Without it, I truly believe that I would be a different person than who I am right now.
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October 16, 2023
When I was finishing high school and looking at universities to attend, the deciding factor for me to go to ĢƵ University was the fact that they had an exchange student program with Chubu University. I had high hopes for the experience, and I was not let down in the least. I can without a doubt say that my participation in the study abroad program with Chubu University not only helped shape my path in life, but also gave me some of the richest experiences and deepest friendships as well.