Culcon

Friendship Blossoms

culconadmin — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:06:36 +0000

Friendship Blossoms is a public/private partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation. Watch Secretary of State Clinton’s announcement here. Applauding the resounding success of events to celebrate the centennial of the historic gift of 3,000 cherry trees by Japan to Washington, D.C., in 1912, the President announced a reciprocal gift of 3,000 dogwood trees to Japan this year. These dogwood trees are to be planted in Tokyo and throughout Japan, including in areas recovering from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, as an enduring symbol of our friendship.» Read More

Obama-Noda Fact Sheet: United States-Japan Cooperative Initiatives

culconadmin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:49:02 +0000

President Obama and Prime Minister Noda met on April 30, 2012 and released a fact sheet on U.S.-Japan Cooperative Initiatives. Recognition of CULCON’s efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship is included in the official document: “The leaders welcomed achievements by . . . the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). The goal of these and other efforts is to cultivate a “TOMODACHI Generation” of young people in Japan and the United States who will serve as the foundation for an even stronger bilateral partnership in the future.” For the full text, please see: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/30/fact-sheet-united-states-japan-cooperative-initiatives.

CULCON 50th Anniversary Film: looking back; looking forward.

culconadmin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:46:05 +0000

Celebrating its 50^th anniversary, CULCON commissioned a film to outline the accomplishments of the organization. The film was produced by former CULCON Panelist Regge Life and narrated by former CULCON Panelist George Takei. The film was shown at the 2012 Plenary Session for the first time and highlights:

The history of CULCON and the Plenary Sessions;
Ways in which CULCON has fostered the bilateral U.S.-Japan Relationship;
The continued need for strong ties between the United States and Japan and the role CULCON will continue to play in maintaining the relationship.

CULCON Presents Joint Statement to Prime Minister Noda

Pamela Fields — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:34:14 +0000

CULCON Chairmen Thierry Porté and Minoru Makihara presented the CULCON XXV Joint Statement to Japanese Prime Minister Noda on April 11, 2012. CULCON XXV was held on April 9-11, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan and covered such issues as arts/museum exchange and the sharp decline in the number of Japanese students studying in the United States.

For the Prime Minister’s post on this event, please see: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/noda/actions/201204/11culcon_e.html#inner_content1

Wendy Kopp Addresses CULCON Symposium on Social Entreneurship as a Vehicle for Education Reform

culconadmin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:24:41 +0000

Wendy Kopp Addresses CULCON Symposium on Social Entreneurship as a Vehicle for Education Reform: Wendy Kopp, Founder and CEO of Teach for America presented the keynote address at a CULCON symposium on April 11, 2012 in Tokyo. She announced the launch of Teach for Japan and introduced its founder Yusuke Matsuda. For photos of the event, please see our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/U.S.CULCON.

Twenty Fifth Plenary Session in Tokyo

culconadmin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:39:05 +0000

CULCON convened its twenty fifth plenary session in Tokyo, Japan on April 9-11, 2012.

CULCON proposed a major initiative to establish . . . “a new binational task force to address the optimal scale and focus of student exchanges at the higher education level. CULCON views the recent decline in Japanese students studying in the U.S. as troubling, and sees the continued low, although improved, level of US students in Japan as inadequate to building the future. The Education Task Force will consist of experts from the U.S. and Japanese governments, corporations and academic institutions, among others, to examine the current state of student exchange, and to recommend initiatives to bring exchanges to an optimal level.” (CULCON XXV Joint Statement, April 10, 2012)

For the full text of the Joint Statement, please click here: CULCON XXV Joint Statement Final

CULCON Mourns Passing of CULCON Panelist Tadashi Yamamoto

culconadmin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:18:12 +0000

CULCON Mourns Passing of CULCON Panelist Tadashi Yamamoto: CULCON joins many in the international relations community in mourning the passing of Japan CULCON Panelist Tadashi Yamamoto, 76. He was a strong advocate in developing a vibrant, internationalized civil society in Japan and of deepening Japanese ties with the United States. For more information about the life and legacy of Tadashi Yamamoto, and plans for memorial activities, please see the JCIE (Japan Center for International Exchange) website: http://www.jcie.or.jp/index.html.

One-Year Anniversary of March 11 Tragedies

culconadmin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:05:37 +0000

On March 11, 2011, Japan’s Tohoku coastal region was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The months after these disasters brought to the forefront incredible stories of resilience and generosity as Japan quickly began recovery efforts.

The one-year anniversary of March 11, 2011 is a time for reflection and contemplation. We mourn those who were lost and reflect upon what has been learned from the tragedy.

On a positive note the disasters highlighted the good relations at all levels between the peoples of the United States and Japan. CULCON will continue to promote public/private partnerships that will sustain our strong relationship.

Summit of U.S.-Japan Related Organizations

culconadmin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:39:48 +0000

Summit of U.S.-Japan Related Organizations: Examining the Bilateral Relationship in a Dynamic Asia-Pacific Region. On the eve of the one year anniversary of the Great Tohoku Disasters and the centennial of Japan’s gift of cherry blossoms to the United States, Americans and Japanese are reminded of Japan’s important role as a partner and ally in the Asia Pacific Region. For decades, academic institutions, policy organizations and government agencies have supported and organized research studies, educational and cultural programs, policy dialogues and exchanges to manage and strengthen this important relationship. What are current trends in the region and how do they impact US priorities for the US-Japan relationship? Where should our organizations target scarce resources, and what impact can we expect from our investments?

U.S. CULCON hosted a day-long summit on February 23, 2012 of Japan related organizations at the Institute for International Education to discuss and address the trends of U.S.-Japan exchanges. Mr. James Zumwalt, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs gave a keynote address on The US-Japan Relationship and East Asia: Current and Emerging Issues; and Dr. Allan Goodman, President and CEO, IIE and Mr. Rick Ruth, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs offered comments on Trends, Investment and Impact: Aligning Needs with Resources.

Fifty participants from twenty-seven organizations involved with U.S.-Japan exchanges addressed the following issues:

Declining number of Japanese students in the United States;
The stable but relatively low number of Americans studying abroad in Japan.;
Underlying factors that contribute to the trends in exchanges including:
- Academic calendar alignment issues;
- High cost of study abroad;
- Difficulties for Japanese students in entering the job search process upon returning to Japan;
- Japanese corporate culture that does not value foreign language proficiency and/or time spent abroad.
- Diminishing financial resources dedicated to U.S.-Japan exchanges;
- Ways that organizations can continue to support and promote exchanges between Japan and the United States.

Film Production Campbell

Pamela Fields — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:57:13 +0000

CULCON celebrates 50 years of commitment to promoting educational and cultural exchange between the people of Japan and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell congratulates CULCON on its long history, achievements and plans for the future. » READ MORE