Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Public-Private Partnership Overseas Study Creation Project "Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN" Project Director Satoru Arasu

For the future of Japan, public and private sectors will support international students who are "taking off"!

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Public-Private Partnership Overseas Study Creation Project
"Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN" Project Director　Satoru Arakawa(Arawune Satoru)

■ Profile
After graduating from the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Sophia University, he worked in recruitment for around 13 years at three companies: a human resources agency, a specialized trading company, and a foreign IT company. In 2014, he joined the public-private partnership overseas study project "Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN" as a founding member, and currently serves as project director.

Arasu has known the joy of personal and organizational growth since his student days, and has gained experience in human resource development as a working adult. Recognizing the importance of cross-border experiences, he is involved in "Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN (hereinafter "Tobitate!")." Through the "Japan Representative Program," Tobitate!'s flagship project, the program sends diverse talents out into the world, not only in classroom learning but also in sports and the arts. We spoke to Arasu about this.

When I was a student, I was active in a student group and discovered the joy of personal growth. I wanted to work for a company where I could continue to grow even after I entered society, so I joined Recruit. I was there for about three years, doing a variety of jobs, including corporate human resources recruitment. After that, working at Google was a turning point in my life, and it led to my participation in the Tobitate! program.
At Google, I was working on recruiting new graduate engineers, and I noticed something there. There were far more Chinese and Indian applicants than Japanese. When I saw that, I felt that even though it was a specific field like engineering, we couldn't win in terms of numbers, and the mindset and aggressiveness were different. I felt a sense of crisis about Japanese talent from a global perspective.
It was at this time that I learned about "Tobitate!". I felt it would be rewarding to be able to utilize my previous experience in recruiting new graduates and be involved in the country's human resource development, so in April 2014 I changed jobs to "Tobitate!"

■ Creating an educational system from scratch

"Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN"At TUFS, students can create their own study abroad plans. While internships are becoming increasingly important within Japan, we also place importance on and support practical activities such as internships, fieldwork, and volunteer work, in addition to classroom learning, when it comes to studying abroad. Our selection criteria are based on curiosity, passion, and originality, rather than language ability or grades. This is because we want to send as many diverse and motivated individuals as possible abroad.
As you can see, creating a new system for developing human resources, something that is currently lacking in Japan, involved many hardships and conflicts. It is a public-private partnership project, funded by donations from the private sector and run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). It is a unique and groundbreaking project that directly connects with the university and high school students who are the recipients of the support, and also creates an alumni organization (community). The challenge lay in starting it from scratch. As a result, we were able to raise a huge amount of donations, approximately 12 billion yen, in the first stage of Tobitate, but we also struggled with the scale of the project, which involves recruiting approximately 1,500 people a year and sending them overseas.

■ Studying abroad helps you grow as a person

When I was in high school, I did a week-long homestay. However, even though I had the chance to study abroad in college, I was so absorbed in domestic student activities that I didn't go. I still regret that decision. Cross-border learning, which takes you out of your comfort zone, allows you to discover new possibilities, train yourself, and grow. Studying abroad is a prime example of this. Whether you can speak a language or not, I recommend studying abroad as soon as possible.
When you're young, you have to make a lot of choices. The sooner you realize that what is common sense in Japan isn't the same as what is common sense around the world, the more possibilities you'll have. When you feel stifled in the place where you were born or in the organization you belong to, going out into the world will reveal that there are many different ways of living, thinking, and working. Doing so will broaden your options in life, so I hope you'll realize that as soon as possible. The value of studying abroad lies in learning about different values ​​and options.
I believe that in order to study abroad long-term at university, it is best to study abroad while still in high school. However, it is also true that high school students have higher hurdles to overcome than university students, such as disagreements with adults and differences in values. With this in mind, "Tobitate!" will strengthen its support for high school students studying abroad.

■Message to junior and senior high school students

For junior and senior high school students, we encourage you to try out any program that involves selection, regardless of whether it is the "Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN Japan Representative Program (New Japan Representative Program from 2023)."
Of course, you are concerned about whether you will be accepted into a program, but I think the benefits of this experience go beyond that. You think about your dreams and goals and write them down on the application form, but that experience itself is valuable. If you're not asked, you won't think about it and time will just pass by. It's a good opportunity to think about your life and your future, so I encourage you to give it a try.
It's also important to let as many people as possible know that you're applying and share that information. By sharing your dreams and letting them hear them, you might find someone who will support you. If you can find even one person who supports you, it's the same as finding a cheering squad for life. Talking about your dreams and receiving feedback through this process is a very valuable opportunity. Supporters may actually introduce you to connections that lead to your next idea, so please give it a try without worrying about whether you'll be accepted or not.

Junior and Senior High School Newspaper, April 1, 2024 Issue, Nihon University, 4nd Year, Mitsuri Yonemitsu