June 8-22, 2024

Application deadline: February 28, 2024

Two students are invited to take part in a two-week trip to Japan to participate in Technos International Week held in Tokyo every year in June, accompanied by one member of the Trinity faculty. Find the faculty application here. Read on for the student application instructions.

Technos International Week is an event organized by Technos International College of Japan. Its goal is to promote international exchange and understanding between the international guests and the members of the host institution, as well as to offer the guest group the opportunity to experience and appreciate Japanese life and culture. Trinity College is one of 10 colleges and universities from around the world to participate.  

This summer, the tour will take place from Saturday, June 8 (Tokyo arrival) and run through Saturday,  June 22 (Tokyo departure). Airfare, lodging, travel while in Japan, and certain other expenses while on the trip are covered by the Technos International Week program. 

Eligibility

This is an opportunity for those who have a genuine interest in Japan, but who have had little or no chance to pursue it academically as of yet. In addition to raising interest in Japanese culture among the campus community, the hope is that the experience will lead the candidates to begin studying Japanese at Trinity College, or else to continue with Japanese beyond the elementary level. To that end, while no previous experience living in Japan or studying Japanese is required, students who are either currently in first-year Japanese or planning to study first-year Japanese in the fall of 2024 will be given the highest consideration.  

Selection Criteria  

  • Thoughtfulness and feasibility of a project that the applicant proposes to explore while in Japan 
  • Personal qualities appropriate to represent Trinity College and to work within a team  
  • An excellent academic record  
  • A willingness to meet people from different racial and cultural backgrounds and to experience elements of Japanese culture, living conditions, and cuisine that may be unfamiliar 
  • A citizenship status that allows visa waiver conditions for short-term entry to Japan (If you do not know the status of your visa waiver condition, please check online) 

Application Procedures  

Interested candidates should submit a copy of their Trinity transcript (unofficial transcript accepted) and a one-to-two page letter of interest in which they:  

  • Describe their interest in Japan 
  • Outline how they may pursue their interest in Japan  
  • Propose a project they would like to embark on during the two-week stay in Japan 
  • Describe how they might use the experience to further develop their interest in Japan and promote greater interest in Japanese culture after their return to campus in the fall of 2023  
  • Include the name of one person within the Trinity community, either faculty or administrator, who knows them well and can act as a reference for their application 

Please contact Professor K Izumi, [email protected], for further information on the program.  Applications should be electronically submitted to Gabby Nelson at [email protected]. Screening will begin immediately after the deadline, and Zoom interviews with a “short list” of finalists will be scheduled to take place prior to spring break. Successful candidates will be notified of their selection by the end of March.  

Review Committee  

K Izumi, Lecturer in Language and Culture Studies 

Reo Matsuzaki, Associate Professor of Political Science 

Garth Myers, Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Urban International Studies and Director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies