On December the 20th last year (2024) we had the honor of welcoming visitors from Tokai Affiliated High Schools to our facilities here at Tokai University European Center.

Their visit was a part of their 40th European Study Trip, whose purpose was to have the students experience both Denmark and other parts of Europe for themselves, as way of learning about the origins of the philosophies on which the Tokai Educational System is built upon.

This 40th European Study Trip had been postponed since 2020 because of coronavirus and the war between Russia and Ukraine, making it an important turning point where more than 90 students in total participated.

During their visit here at Tokai University European Center, the students performed a flower offering in front of the commemorative stone for Tokai’s founder Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, which is placed at our Centers Garden. After this the students were divided into two groups where each group took turns to receive a guided tour of the Centers Facilities done by Director Jakob Skyt Jensen. Simultaneously the groups also took turns in attending a lecture about the Centers history, role and connection to Tokai’s ideological roots, which was held by Director Dr. Manami Hori in the assembly hall.
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Here at the Center, we enjoyed experiencing the presence of so many curious students that were eager to learn about Danish history and culture and its relation to the founding of Tokai. We hope that the visit offered some insight and inspiration and helped strengthening the important bonds between the students, the center, Denmark, Europe and other countries as well.

From August to September, we had the honor of receiving two Study Groups from Tokai University: One from the Department of Health and one from the Department of Nursing.

The delegation from the Department of Health:
This Study Group consisted of two teachers and nine students who stayed at our facility from August 25th till September 1st. Their general focus during their stay was on the Danish society’s way of managing public health, welfare and elderly care. Their Study Program was therefore aimed at these subject and it included visits to:

• Krogerup Folk High School – Here the students were taught about the life as student at a Danish Folk High School and were able to talk to students there as well. They were also introduced to one the school’s new courses, which focuses on regenerative agriculture, and it’s benefits for both our health and the planet’s.

• The Nursing Home Pilehuset, which specializes in dementia – The students were introduced to the facilities and their special pedagogical nursing methods, which are used to enhance the life quality and expectancy of their patients.

• Taga School, an education for students with special needs – Here the Study Group received an introduction to the school’s system, the school student’s individual educational plans, and learned about how the school attains its most important goal: to have each student develop into a capable and confident adult and choose a path suitable for their needs and abilities.

… and many other places.

The students also partook in various social engagements, such as a social exchange gathering with students at Copenhagen University, a Garden Party at TUEC, as well as a visit to the homes of a selected group of Danish elderly citizens. These activities allowed them to both practice their English language skills, as well learn about Danish culture. After their stay here at TUEC the Study Group continued their program in Aarhus where they visited VIA College and Aarhus University.
 
The delegation from the Department of Nursing:
This Study Group arrived shortly after the former one and stayed at TUEC from August 29th till September 5th. This group consisted of one teacher and ten students. We had also arranged a Study Program during their stay which was mainly focused on Danish nursing and elderly care.

Our great partners at University College Deaconess (UCD) once again made it possible to make a great program for the students, as they (co-)arranged several parts of it. The program itself included a visit to UCD, with an extensive tour of the school, as well as a thorough explanation on how they teach nursing to their students. The Study Group from Tokai also did a presentation on their studies and everyday life in Japan in front of students from Deaconess. Following this, they all discussed the differences and similarities between Denmark and Japan in these regards.

Other parts of the Study Program included, amongst others, visits to:

• The Danish Nursing Organization – The students were informed on how the organization operates and impacts nursing in Denmark.

• Nursing home Ingeborggården – Here the students learned about the facility and how the staff works to ensure the well being of their elderly patients.

• Frederiksberg Rehabilitation Clinique – The group was introduced by the staff to their rehabilitation methods and their connection to other hospitals and institutions.

 
As with the Department of Health Group, the Department of Nursin Study Group also participated in the Garden Party at TUEC. This allowed them chance to talk with fellow students from both Denmark and Japan, socialize and share ideas together.
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We’re very grateful for the experience with these intercultural and cross-sectional exchanges during the stay of both Study Groups from respectively Tokai’s Department of Health Management and of Nursing. In the future, we hope to have many more of such arrangements where each staff or faculty member and student can share their personal understandings with one another to help broaden each other’s viewpoints and collaborate better.

We would once again like to thank each and every one of the contributors, volunteers and participants - you all made this years culture day the biggest yet. We hope to see you all agian soon!
- The TUEC Team

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) will in the coming years open its doors to a new campus in Vejle. The campus will be focused on IT, AI, and Computer Science university degrees. We had the honor of hosting and participating in a meeting regarding the future of both the city of  Vejle, SDU Vejle, and a possible academic and cultural collaboration between Tokai University, The Tokai University European Center, The University of Southern Denmark, and the city of Vejle.

Here at The Tokai University European Center, our goal has always been to strive to establish and foster international academic and cultural collaboration. We sincerely hope that the future of TUEC, SDU, and Vejle will be full of cooperation, and we believe that our future will be brighter together!

The amazing Associate Professor Jens Sejrup, Ph.D. visited us here at The Tokai University European Center, where he gave a lecture on historic authenticity in reconstructed historic locations. It was an honor to host the event, and seeing our lectureroom almost filled to the brim brought us undesribeable joy. We would, once again, like to thank both Jens Sejrup and the many antendees of the lecture evenings.

From August to September 2023, we received students from Tokai University, for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.
Three students and two teachers from the Department of Health Management at Tokai University visited Denmark between August 27th and September 3rd. Besides the program drafted for them in Copenhagen by TUEC, they also paid a visit to VIA University College in Aarhus, which had made a one day program for the group.
Furthermore, seven students and one teacher from the Department of Global Studies visited Denmark between August 31st and September 10th. This group also paid a visit to Aarhus, where the Department of Global Studies had planned a workshop and other activities for the group.

Journalist and author Asger Røjle Christensen has covered developments in Japan for almost four decades, and he has lived and worked in the country for 13 years of his life. Throughout the years, he has observed Japan and the many Japanese people he has met - and he has reported to the best of his ability on what he has seen and understood along the way.

In recent years, he has also done this in a series of lectures at the Danish-Japanese Society based on his most recently published books. This time with the title "Mit møde med Japan - Kulturelle nedslag i min historie med Japan og japanerne" , based on the music of the Sun Day Karma Trio, he talked about a number of scattered cultural touches in his own history with Japan.

On March 17th, 2022, a workshop on Solar Cell Technologies was held as a collaboration between the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Tokai University.