Tuesday, Sep 5, 2017
Keizo Fukuyama is working directly with Rider's Center for International Education
by Robert Leitner ’17
A Japanese official arrived at Rider University in August for an intensive eight-month internship to study international education.
Keizo Fukuyama, an official for the Office for Disaster Prevention at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan, will work directly with the University's Center for International Education.
Fukuyama was delighted to share his background and discuss his aspirations for the internship.
How did you become a disaster prevention official?
I majored in architecture during my time in higher education, and prior to becoming a disaster prevention official I worked in the facilities department at Kyoto University, Japan’s second oldest university and one of Asia’s highest-ranked universities. A few years later I became a disaster prevention official at the Ministry of education.
What do you do on a daily basis as a disaster prevention official?
On a daily basis, I deal with policy regarding disaster prevention. When a disaster occurs, like an earth quake or typhoon, there may be some damage to university buildings. Our job is to investigate the damage and estimate the cost. We offer subsidies for damaged buildings to be reconstructed. Typhoons may happen every year, but earthquakes are typically less often.
What do you wish to accomplish during your time in the U.S.?
Of course, one my goals is to improve my English skills, and another one of my future goals is to contribute to the internationalization of Japan’s universities. The U.S. has accepted lots of international students so far and has extensive experience with international education. We can learn from the United States. The Japanese government wants to increase our country’s number of international students to 300,000 by the year 2020, so hopefully my time here can help us reach that goal.
How do you plan on contributing to the internationalization of Japan’s universities?
My research team is about facilities for international education, so I would like to analyze dormitories, laboratories, libraries and other facilities that are organized or planned for international students. I would also like to talk to professors and international students to receive their input on international education here in the United States.
Besides your studies, what are you looking forward to doing in the U.S.?
I like watching sports. If possible I would like to see U.S. Open for tennis and Major League Baseball at a stadium. I also like listening to classical music. Around here Philadelphia and New York have very good orchestras, and Westminster Choir College also has a very good musical program.
