A calligraphy
workshop, part of the 2018 Kakehashi Inouye Scholars Program exchange, brought
together students from Hendrix College and Prefectural Hiroshima University.
From left: Yuki Kikuchi of PHU; Lexus Raney ’18 and Mara Campbell ’18 of Hendrix;
and Mami Ono and Yumi Tamura of PHU.
CONWAY, Ark. (February
14, 2020) — For the second time in three years, Hendrix College has been
awarded an opportunity to participate in the TOMODACHI Kakehashi Inouye
Scholars program, an exchange program funded by the non-profit U.S.-Japan
Council and the Japanese government. Named in honor of Senator Daniel K. Inouye
of Hawaii (1924-2012), the program promotes service, cultural understanding,
and interest in Japan. As one of just three colleges selected for the program
in the United States, Hendrix will host 23 students from its new study abroad
exchange partner, Kwansei Gakuin University of Nishinomiya, Japan, from Feb.
16-22, and send 23 students to Japan over spring break (March 21-29).
The Japanese
group will tour historic and cultural sites in central Arkansas, participate in
classes and club activities at Hendrix, and give presentations on Japanese
culture at local schools, including Jim Stone Elementary and the University of
Central Arkansas.
In Japan, the
Hendrix group will visit important sites in the Tokyo and the Kyoto-Osaka areas,
including educational institutions, high-tech industries, world heritage sites,
and government offices, visit with local officials, and experience daily life
through activities with KGU students and homestays with local families.
Hendrix students
will be joined on the trip by Gwen Stockwell, assistant director of international
programs and instructor of Japanese at Hendrix, who is also administering the
exchange, and Dr. Michael Miyawaki, assistant professor of sociology. Dr.
Michael Sprunger, associate professor of history and faculty contact for the
Asian studies program, will provide additional support.
Participating
Hendrix College students, some of whom have never traveled outside the U.S., look
forward to learning more about Japanese culture and society and form lasting
relationships through the exchange. “I am excited to experience the food, art,
technology, and nature,” says Mary Claire Bright ’23.
“This is a
unique, once in a lifetime experience that most of my friends and family have
not had,” notes Alexandria Cade ’23. “I am excited to learn and be fully
immersed in Japanese culture.”
“Cultural
understanding is one of the most important foundations for global cooperation,”
says Keegan Vacanti ’22, “but it’s also one of the most difficult things to
achieve without direct relationships.”
About
Hendrix College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns
recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change
the Way You Think About Colleges.
Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix
as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To
learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.