Kawamura International Agricultural Exchange Essociation, Japan visit and work with Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

In order to promote the development of the Agricultural Internship Program in Japan, on 16th January, the representative of Kawakami Agricultural Village paid a working visit to Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF).

The delegation of the TUAF included Assoc. Prof. Tran Van Dien – Rector of TUAF, Assoc. Prof. Ms. Hoang Thi Bich Thao - Director of International Training and Development Center and MA. Nguyen Thi Mai Thu - Deputy Director of International Development and Training Center and all program specialists.

The meeting between Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry and Japanese partner

At the beginning of the meeting, representative of Kawakami Village greeted and said happy new year to all the leaders and teachers of the TUAF. He stated that over the two years of implementing the Japanese Internship Program, the village highly appreciated the quality of students to practice each year. Students of our university have the ability to communicate in Japanese quite well and complete all the tasks of learning as well as practicing, in addition they integrate very quickly with culture and life with Japanese people, leaving a good impression on the people here. This is the reason why many households in the Village want to receive more students from the University's program.

On behalf of the TUAF, the rector thanked the Kawakami Agricultural Village for giving students the opportunity to practice in the village of Kawakami, famous for green vegetables grown with high technology, where students can directly experience the practical knowledge as well as learn from the farmers creating this model. This is a process of accumulation of skills and knowledge that really helps Vietnamese students contributing to the development of the country today.

School leaders take photos with representatives of Kawakami Agricultural Village

During the visit, the Japanese delegation offered their deep condolences to the loss of the family of Tan Hai Phong – a student of Japanese Internship Program. He passed away due to a traffic accident after returning from the program. Representative of the village said: "When going to the village to live and work with people, the students are very young so they were considered as children in the family; they work together and share everything in life. From this intimacy, every interned student called the host adoptive father, mother by all the respect and love. The parents as well as the children in the village were very heartbreaking when receiving information about the misfortune to Phong and they sincerely condoled and hoped his family will overcome this great pain."

The leaders of the university thanked the Japanese delegation on behalf of the family and will transfer the ceremony to his family in the nearest time.

In the afternoon, the delegation had a meeting with students of the 3rd course of the Japanese Internship Program. In the intimate atmosphere of this first meeting, the representatives of the village expressed their expectation to the students: "Course 1 and 2 always tried to study and work well in Japan so adoptive parents are very happy and are waiting for new students. Hope you can always be united, cultivate Japanese well and it is important to stay healthy to prepare for the important journey of life. After each of you being in different families, learning different cultivation techniques, you should share information and knowledge together so that when returning you can enlarge as much knowledge as possible, from which you can complete your thesis research well, in the future you will become a useful citizen for the country."

Representatives of Kawakami Agricultural Village meet students of the third course of the Japanese Internship Program

Kawakami village representatives introduced each household and each type of plants where students will come to practice in the next 7 months so that they have the best preparation for their graduation thesis.

A representative of Kawakami Village introduces the households and each type of plants to the students

At the end of the meeting, the representatives of the village had a meeting with students from the second course who have just returned from the program to say thanks to the cooperation of 23 students during the internship time. Mr. Sahara Yoshihei, head of the delegation, said: "Seven months is not too long but the foster parents in the village have had happy memories with you. On this occasion, parents send good wishes to all of you and hope that the knowledge learned in the village will help you succeed in life. In the coming time, each of you will choose your own path, each will become a factor of society, but wherever you go you always remember the time in the village."

Leader of International Training and Development Center, representative of Kawakami Village taking photo with students of 2^nd course of the Japan Internship Program

To finish the meeting, representatives from Kawakami Village expressed their wish that the University would continue to train students well so that the program would be improved in both quality and quantity, reinforcing long-term friendship between Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry and Kawakami Village.

Mai Thu, TTĐT&PTQT