NAIST International Student Ambassador Training Session (July - August, 2021)

 The Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) welcomed 14 international students as Ambassadors for the NAIST International Student Ambassador Program with a training session held in July and August. (The participants were divided into a few sessions taking in consideration COVID-19 infection prevention measures.)

 The international students who volunteer for the Ambassador Program can engage in student support activities including peer counseling, event planning for on/off-campus events, and assist NAIST in its international recruiting and PR activities, depending on their abilities, experiences and preferences.

 The session opened with CISS UEA Robert King began the event with an explanation of the Ambassador Program, discussing the roles Ambassadors may play and introduced concrete examples of what might be requested of them during their tenure. Executive Director/Vice President Tsukasa Ogasawara then gave the participants their certificates of appointment. In the following discussion session, students discussed issues such as troubles seeking medical treatment at night or on weekends, the desire to increase interaction with Japanese and other students, and asked questions concerning the peer counseling system.

 At CISS, we will work with the Ambassadors to increase activity on-campus and to support new or younger students through the sharing of the knowledge and experiences they have accumulated.