Giving orphaned students abroad the
chance to study in Japan
While Ashinaga
originally only supported Japanese students who had lost parents, as time
passed it became increasingly clear that we had the experience and means to
assist orphaned students outside Japan as well.
This first
took the shape of fundraising for international humanitarian crises, but
eventually grew into various financial aid and scholarship opportunities to
benefit orphaned students from around the world.
Why study in Japan?
Japan is a
global leader in higher education, with its universities consistently ranking
among the top in Asia and featuring in lists of the best universities around
the world. Through the Global 30 University initiative, Japan’s universities
are also more open and international than ever.
Japan is
also considered a forerunner in technology, sustainability, and the drive for
global peace. Students studying here will benefit greatly from seeing how this
country is able to attain high levels of development, while still maintaining
relative harmony among its population as well as a balance between
globalization and tradition.
Our student support team
Moving far
away to a country quite different from one’s own can be daunting, which is why
all of our students who study in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan,
Australia, and New Zealand are looked after by our experienced student support
team. They are there to ensure you get the support you need to make the most of
the university experience, and also so that you have someone to turn to with
any problems or questions.
Ashinaga Uganda and Senegal
Since 2006,
Ashinaga has been providing support and financial aid to students in Uganda, so
that they can pursue their undergraduate studies in Japan. Typically, we have
supported two students per year, who then are offered housing at our Ashinaga
Kokoro-Juku in either Kobe or Tokyo.
Previous
students have studied at Waseda University, International Christian University,
Sophia University, Meiji University, Doshisha University, Kyoto University, and
many others.
Ashinaga has
also begun giving scholarships to high school students from Uganda and Senegal
to study at senior high schools in Japan. This intensive, immersive program
allows students to quickly excel in their Japanese language skills.
Learn more
about Ashinaga’s activities in Sub-Saharan Africa
Ashinaga Africa Initiative
Students on
the Ashinaga Africa Initiative are also encouraged to undertake their studies
in Japan. The Ashinaga Africa Initiative hopes to contribute to the continued
development of Sub-Saharan Africa through providing a high-quality education to
ambitious orphaned students who want to use that education to make a
difference.
One-year Programs
Ashinaga
currently runs a one-year exchange program for orphaned students from Indonesia
and Vietnam currently studying at our partner institutions, Airlangga
University and the Sakura Japanese Language School. Interested students should
contact their school directly.
Rainbow Exchange
In exchange
for accepting our Japanese students at their institutions as part of our
Overseas Training Program, Ashinaga invites students from Kocaeli University
and Airlangga University to Japan every year. Invitees spend the summer
interacting with Ashinaga students, learning Japanese, and learning about
Japanese culture.
Learn more
about the Overseas Training Program for Japanese students
Past Programs
International summer camps
From 2000 to
2005, Ashinaga held annual international summer camps, or international tsudoi,
in which students from 15 different countries gathered and shared memorable
experiences with one another. These gatherings brought together orphaned
students from Afghanistan, Algeria, Colombia, El Salvador, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Maldives, Serbia Montenegro (Kosovo), Sri Lanka, Taiwan,
Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, and the USA.
Through
these camps, students were able to discover that despite the national and linguistic
barriers tht divided them, they shared the pain of losing a parent and becoming
orphaned.
Tsunami Orphan Scholarship Program
A number of
students from Sri Lanka and Indonesia were invited to undertake their
undergraduate studies in Japan with a scholarship from Ashinaga, having been
affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami.
This program
was made possible in part by student-led fundraising conducted by Ashinaga
students in Japan.
Learn more
about our student activism in Japan
Haiti Program
Following
the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, Ashinaga secured funds for four students to study at
a university in Japan on an Ashinaga scholarship. All of these students have
since graduated and are now either pursuing further studies, working, or contributing
their skills back in Haiti.
