News and Topics

2024.08.31

1. 

   The East Asia Student Encounter 2024 (EASE 2024) was held in Japan from August 8 to 22, 2024 under the theme “Creative Endeavors: Bridging the Gap through Arts and Crafts, Kwansei Gakuin University was the main organizer of the event in Japan. EASE is an international joint seminar held annually between Kwansei Gakuin University and its partner university in Indonesia, Satya Wachana Christian University (UKSW), since 1977, alternating between Japan and Indonesia. This year was the 47th EASE event, and the first time in six years that EASE was held in Japan. 15 students and three faculty members from UKSW were welcomed by 15 students and one faculty member from KGU, who lived and slept together in the KGU dormitory for about two weeks. During the period, in addition to lectures, theme-based group presentations, culinary and cultural exchange meetings, field trips to Kyoto and Hiroshima, and a one-night/2-day homestay with an ordinary Japanese family were also included.

On August 10, Dewi Sukarno, the wife of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, gave a lecture in English to EASE participants, EASE alumni, international program participants, and general students, as well as the Consul General of Indonesia in Osaka. During the lecture, the participants heard about the relationship between Japan and Indonesia and her own life experiences, followed by a lively question-and-answer session. Many participants were inspired by her words, such as “I myself went through many hardships when I was young, but friendship among young people is very important for strengthening the relationship between Japan and Indonesia,” and the lecture served as motivation for them to take action going forward.

In addition to this, the participants developed a more in-depth mutual understanding of each other's society and culture through presentations and discussions on a variety of themes. During the program, all 30 participants were able to forge more meaningful relationships by working in different Daily Partner pairs each day. On the final day of the two-week program, the UKSW students bid a tearful farewell to the KGU students at Kansai International Airport as they set off on their journey home, pledging a lifetime of friendship in the future.