Nihon University and Maynooth University strengthen their collegial partnership, which promotes academic and cultural knowledge transfer, in line with the Maynooth University Strategic Plan 2018-2022.
The MU Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting along with the International Office have been collaborating with Nihon University (Tokyo, Japan) for a number of years now and a double MU-NU B.A. Economics degree is due to be launched in 2019. Japanese students will be able to transfer to Maynooth University after two years of study in Nihon University, and upon completion of a further 2 years, will graduate with a degree from both NU and MU.
A group of 11 Japanese students from the College of Economics in Nihon University arrived in mid-March 2018 for the English language and Economics Study Abroad Programme, which has been running for four years. These students are now halfway through their 5-month English language course, which is run by Mark Hennessy, ESL coordinator in the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures. The Study Abroad programme encourages Economics students from the world’s third-largest economy to experience how Irish higher education approaches similar subjects to those they are studying in Japan. The students will continue on in September 2018 to study a semester of Economics modules. During the autumn academic semester, students will also continue with two hours of English language IELTS preparation classes per week and will sit an official IELTS exam in December 2018, before completing their programme at MU in January 2019.
In 2019 the students will have the option to transfer into the joint degree B.A. Economics degree programme, which will also be open to direct entrants from Nihon University.
As part of the current Study Abroad programme the International Office runs an Ireland Social and Cultural schedule. The Japanese students partake in numerous trips and activities throughout Ireland, getting a first-hand taste of Irish culture. The Japanese students have reported that their first impression when they arrive here is the kindness of the people, which they feel distinguishes Ireland from other countries. They stay with Irish host families, allowing them to experience local culture and avail of the great opportunity to practise their English with native speakers. The programme helps promote Ireland’s image as a safe and first-class study destination for other potential Japanese students.
In addition, Maynooth students can learn and benefit from the experience of the Nihon University students, who come from Japan, a country known for its innovation, quality, work ethic and powerhouse economy.