From Wednesday, July 3 to Friday, July 14, a Summer School program in Japan was held for students studying Japanese in the Applied Technology Schools (ATS) system in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This Summer School program, which started in 2011, is one of the Japanese language education programs jointly implemented by the Ritsumeikan Trust, Cosmo Energy Exploration & Production Co., Ltd., Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd., and ATS. Nineteen high school students from ATS participated in this year’s Summer School program, which resumed last year, and the program served to deepen exchange among students by having the guests join classes and experience club activities at Ritsumeikan Moriyama Junior and Senior High School. The students also joined company tours and participated in cultural experiences in Osaka, Mie, Shiga, and Kyoto.

On Friday, July 12, a completion ceremony was held at Suzaku Campus. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Marwan Alnaqbi, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Japan, Mr. Abdulla Al Suwaidi, a Specialist in Business Development from ADNOC Marketing International Japan Ltd, Mr. Masashi Nakayama, Director of the Senior Executive Office of Cosmo Energy Exploration & Production Co., Ltd. and Mr. Keisuke Nishikawa, Director of the Executive Office of Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. Faculty and staff members of the Ritsumeikan Trust and students from Ritsumeikan Moriyama High School were also in attendance, making for a grand event. One ATS student who participated in the Summer School program said they had a wonderful time with the students of Ritsumeikan Moriyama, while another student expressed their desire to study abroad at Ritsumeikan University in the future after returning home and continuing their Japanese language studies.

Read more about the students’ visit to Ritsumeikan Moriyama Junior and Senior High School students here.

• UAE Week: International Exchange with High School Students from Abu Dhabi