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<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Professor Kazuaki Okabe (right) tries his best to translate the humor expressed by Aichi Toho University Chairman Naoki Sakaki (standing) to teachers and students at the Nippon Business Institute at Everett Community College on Monday. The group, including Aichi Toho University President Kanii Yamagiwa (second from left) and executive director Takaharu Masuda, are visiting EvCC, which is their sister college.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 EvCC impresses Japanese sister school's officials By Eric Stevick Herald Writer EVERETT -- Leaders from Everett Community College and Aichi Toho University in Japan figure they have a lot to learn from one another. Even down to the flashcards used in an EvCC English as a second language class. A five-member delegation from the Nagoya-based private university arrived last week and will visit EvCC through Wednesday. The two schools have been working together for two decades, with students and faculty crossing the Pacific Ocean to get a broader cultural perspective. The Japanese visitors were particularly interested in the breadth of programs offered at EvCC and the financing of the buildings and operations. Toho Gakuen is a private education business that includes the university of about 1,000 students specializing in business and human studies and a high school of about 1,400 students. Seeing an English as a second language classroom with students in their 60s learning a new language was a stark contrast to the more traditional classes with 18- to 22-year-olds at Aichi Toho University. So, too, was the EvCC Early Learning Center, where students who are parents of toddlers can enroll their children while they attend classes. Naoki Sakaki, chairman of the board that runs the Toho campus, was impressed with how engaged students were in the classes he observed. "The American students are very serious and no one is talking among each other," Sakaki said through a translator. Takaharu Masuda, Toho's executive director, visited EvCC more than 15 years ago and was struck by the dramatic building expansion on the campus. "This campus is much bigger with many new buildings," he said. Most students attend private universities in Japan, and a declining birthrate has made recruiting competitive. In Japan, public universities get roughly 30 percent of funding from the government, and private universities about 10 percent, the group said. That's what makes it so intriguing to them to see the new $30 million Whitehorse Hall and the $49 million Gray Wolf Hall now under construction. Both are funded entirely with taxpayer money. That investment in education is impressive, said Kazuaki Okabe, an associate professor and chairman of the university's international exchange committee. "We can learn from that kind of system," he said. EvCC and Aichi Toho University have had a sister-college relationship since 1986 with a formal agreement signed in 1990. Every two years, the colleges engage in a student exchange. Students from Aichi Toto participate in a two-week homestay educational program at EvCC every second winter, and students from EvCC are part of a similar exchange in Nagoya during alternate summers. The visit this week also was a chance for American students to learn about studying in Japan. Several EvCC students listened to Aichi Toho leaders talk about their school Monday. Annie Martz, 19, took four years of Japanese at Kamiak High School and is starting her second year at EvCC. She is considering majoring in Japanese "and if that's the case, I would rather go to Japan than be here. You can get yourself pretty fluent quickly by being there." Aaron Rowe, 17, of Lake Stevens is considering an Asian studies degree. He is fascinated by Japanese culture and would love to study in Japan. "The language is fun to learn and the culture and history is just really interesting," he said. Everett sisters Liz and Anna VanderMeer, 24 and 15, lived in Japan as youngsters when their mom was stationed there in the Navy. They are taking Japanese at EvCC and write to former neighbors in Japan. "We have managed to retain a decent amount," Liz said. "I'd sure like to go back," Anna added. Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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