The University of Nebraska–Lincoln celebrated its 30-year exchange agreement with Japan’s Senshu University on Feb. 15-16.

The event included a visit by Senshu University’s Yutaka Takahashi, dean of international academic affairs, and Yuta Yazawa, deputy associate manager and study abroad coordinator.

During the visit, Takahashi and Yazawa met with leaders across campus. Thomas Farrell, senior adviser to the chancellor for international affairs, hosted a luncheon that featured faculty from the colleges of business administration and journalism and mass communications, and staff from the Nebraska Office of Economic Development, education abroad and international engagement.

More than 400 students from both UNL and Shenshu University have participated in the exchange program since it started in 1986.

Farrell believes the longstanding partnership with Senshu University, which is based in the College of Business Administration, is invaluable.

“The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s relationship with Senshu University is emblematic of the collaborations that UNL wishes to see developed among our most important partners worldwide,” Farrell said. “The quality of the program at Senshu University and the 30-year duration of our relationship makes this partnership something in which both sides can justly take pride.”

The visit was also Takahashi’s first to Lincoln.

“We have enjoyed our partnership with Nebraska,” Takahashi said. “Many excellent students, as well as researchers have visited us, and in turn, many of our students have come here. It is a wonderful exchange that helps our students learn English and also experience American culture.”

Senshu University offers several international programs to UNL students. Those programs include the Japanese Language and Culture program, and surveys of Japanese business, culture, history and language courses, each of which offer students an opportunity to learn the Japanese language, understand Japanese business practices and experience daily life in Japan.

In addition to meeting with CBA faculty, Takahashi and Yazawa toured UNL’s new CBA building construction site, visited the Kawasaki Reading Room and had dinner with UNL students who had recently studied abroad at Senshu University.

For more information about the Senshu study abroad program, click here.