【JET 20th Anniversary Panel Discussion】
Below is the transcript from the six-person Panel Discussion, "Striving for a New Level of Internationalisation," that was held on November 22, 2006 as part of the JET Programme 20th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony.
--Begin Panel Discussion--
>Introductions
Matsumoto: Hello, I'm Kazuya Matsumoto, an NHK announcer, and I am delighted to meet you all. As coordinator for this panel discussion today, my goal will be to encourage everyone together with our panelists to explore the future outlook for international understanding, cross-cultural communication, and international exchange primarily in the context of the JET Programme.
I would like to begin by having each of the panelists briefly introduce themselves, describe their involvement with the JET Programme, and share with us their views on the programme itself. Let me ask Ms. Agnes Chan to be the first to speak.
Chan: Hello everyone, Agnes Chan here. First of all, congratulations to the JET Programme as today marks its 20th anniversary. Thinking back twenty years, I recall that then Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone had begun wearing foreign-brand neckties and caused a stir with a campaign to promote Japan's internationalisation.
By that time I had begun teaching a university course in cross-cultural communication. That was around the same time the JET Programme started. At a fundamental level I strongly endorse this programme. It has enabled many people from abroad to visit Japan. This, I think, has been a fantastic benefit for Japan itself, and has provided opportunities for visitors from abroad to gain a much better understanding of Japan. In these respects, I believe the JET Programme has been highly successful as a vehicle for international exchange and as a cultural programme.
Fujii: Hello, I'm Kishin Fujii, Deputy Governor of Tottori Prefecture. I believe today provides an occasion for us all to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the JET Programme.
Let me briefly speak about my constituency. Tottori Prefecture is a relatively small, close-knit prefectural community of around 610,000 citizens. As it happens, many prefectures across Japan are presently engaged in a competitive drive for community revitalisation along with administrative and fiscal reforms.
Our prefecture is looking to international exchange as a major force for stimulus at the community level. One major advantage for Tottori in this regard is that it already has strong ties with other countries across the Northwest Pacific region. In addition to Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) for English, the prefecture now also has two ALTs for Korean language classes and one ALT for Chinese language instruction. We now also have two Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) from English-speaking countries, four from Korea, one from Mongolia, and one from Russia.
In my view, the JET Programme has overcome numerous structural and financial hurdles and has demonstrated an impressive track record of development focusing on the realities at the community level. It has been a superb programme for Tottori Prefecture, and I'm confident the same can be said for other prefectures across Japan also. This is the current reality that I hope to discuss further today.
Greene: Hi, I'm Raymond Greene from the U.S. Embassy in Japan. I spent a year on the JET Programme, from 1992 to 1993, working as an ALT in Kanagawa Prefecture. I came to Japan first as a high school student, later as a university student, and most recently in my present Foreign Service role with the U.S. Embassy. In retrospect, I feel that the JET Programme has been most effective in terms of enabling me to learn about Japanese culture, traditions, and everyday life.
When I became involved in the JET Programme, I had just graduated from university. That was some 16 years ago. Even then however, the JET Program was already widely known, particularly among American universities. I am in Japan now as Chief of the Political-Military Affairs Unit at the US Embassy in Tokyo, and in that role, I am working as best I can to strengthen security ties between Japan and the US. In that respect, my experiences with the JET Programme have been extremely helpful because I am involved in efforts to promote improved ties and exchange between US military bases in Japan and their surrounding communities. As a JET veteran, it would be my pleasure to contribute to this wonderful programme in any way I can.
Naoyama: Hello, my name is Yuko Naoyama and I am here on behalf of the Kyoto City Board of Education. Earlier in my career, I worked as a middle-school English instructor. That coincided with the start of the JET Programme, and as a result, I taught my classes together with ALTs.
ALTs often have a difficult time undertaking the challenge of working in multiple different school settings, and they sometimes share their thoughts with me. For example, I may hear that things just aren't working out very well with a certain instructor, or that an ALT is troubled by certain obstacles, and of course I also am asked for my advice on solutions to those problems.
Today I plan to be candid about some of the problems for the programme. I hope to send a message to everyone about the challenges for ALTs in their school settings, including their accomplishments, and I hope this will be a good pportunity for us to explore the topic of English language education together. I'm looking forward to the discussion.
Tanaka:Hello, my name is Takeshi Tanaka. The JET Programme is an extremely important undertaking for CLAIR. Consequently, I and my colleagues in CLAIR are heavily involved in JET Programme-related affairs day to day.
A word about myself. Although the same may be said of my current position, in my career to date as a public servant at the local government level, I have had contact with many JET Programme participants. All have demonstrated themselves to be exceptional individuals, and have been very helpful and instructive to me in many ways. Until just recently, I served as CLAIR's Seoul Office Manager. Our South Korean JET participants were wonderful as well. My experiences interacting with them will be extremely memorable.
All the panelists here today have been deeply involved with the JET Programme in their own, personal ways. I am looking forward to learning a great deal from what they have to say.
