CEPEX - The Center For Professional Exchange

Introducing the 2018 CEPEX Japan Studies Award Winner

February 20, 2018 No comments

My name is Arianis Blanco, and I am a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. I am majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in comparative economic, political, and social systems, and I am currently studying Japanese. Originally, I was born in Venezuela, but my family moved to Miami, Florida in 2001, which gave me the opportunity to grow up alongside the influence of multiple Latin American cultures. Being bilingual in both English and Spanish has allowed me to understand Latin American relations with the United States, yet I felt this did not suffice in understanding Latin America’s role with the rest of the world.

Upon entering GW, I decided to take a language course that would challenge me and help me learn about customs that were different from my own. After researching Japan, I felt driven to learn in greater depth about a culture that could potentially allow me to provide the links for a deeper relationship between East Asia, specifically Japan, countries within Latin America, and the United States. As a result, interning with Sojitz Corporation of America will enable me to experience these relationships through a business perspective.

I am extremely excited to increase my knowledge of Japan and visit Tokyo for the very first time. I hope these experiences will strengthen my ambition to continue working with Japan in the future, either through the JET program or with an international corporation like Sojitz.

I truly believe that extending our knowledge of other cultures and languages fosters stronger relationships and better outcomes. Because of this, I am grateful for this award as it will enable me to accomplish this and help others gain knowledge of Japan.

よろしくお願いします!

ブランコ　アリアニス

The CEPEX Japan Studies Award is made possible through the generous support of Sojitz Foundation and All Nippon Airways (ANA).

2018 CEPEX Japan Studies Award Application

December 20, 2017 No comments

CEPEX 2018 Japan Studies Award

Desired Candidate:

Strong interest in Japan
Open to learning new things
Positive attitude
Self-starter
Independent
Enjoys writing

Able to work with minimal supervision
Research skills
Flexible
Interest in gaining professional experience

CEPEX 2018 Japan Studies Award Application Packet

(click on the link above to access the application)

Application Timeline

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Please submit applications to uehara.nicole@sojitz.com by 5 PM on January 31.

Application Review: February 1-2, 2018

CEPEX staff will review applications and select candidates for in-person interviews.

INTERVIEW CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED: February 2, 2018

Successful candidates will be contacted via email to set up an interview date and time on February 2.

INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED: February 5-9, 2018

Applicants will be invited for an in-person interview with CEPEX staff in Washington, DC.

RESULTS ANNOUNCED: Friday, February 9, 2018

Interview results will be announced by February 9, 2018.

10-week DC Internship: February 19-April 27, 2018

The Japan Studies Award winner will intern for 10 weeks in the Washington, DC office of Sojitz Corporation of America. Internship hours will be 5-10 hours/week, depending on the student’s schedule. The Japan Studies Award winner will participate in think tank seminars, targeted research, and professional networking-related activities during the internship. A small stipend is provided during the DC internship.

10-Day Japan Trip: May/June 2018 (Dates TBD)

The Japan Studies Award winner will have an opportunity to travel to Tokyo for an internship with Sojitz Corporation. Activities will include a self-directed research project and first-hand look at the Japanese business world. Roundtrip airfare, hotel, travel insurance and a stipend are provided during the Tokyo internship.

2018 CEPEX Japan Studies Award Announcement

December 20, 2017 No comments

Are you interested in learning more about international business and Japan? The 2018 Japan Studies Award is open to undergraduate students currently enrolled at American University, George Mason University, Georgetown University, and The George Washington University. Applicants do not need to be taking a Japanese language course, but must have a strong interest in Japan to be considered.

The 2018 Japan Studies Award winner will receive a 10-week internship at the DC office of Sojitz Corporation of America from February 19-April 27, 2018, followed by a 10-day international internship at Sojitz Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. Sojitz Corporation of America is a U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese trade and investment corporation. The DC internship will be 5-10 hours per week and includes attending think tank events, writing concise event summaries, and conducting research. After successfully completing the DC internship, the Japan Studies Award winner will travel to Tokyo, Japan for 10 days during May/June 2018. The intern will be able to further their interest in Japanese language, culture and international business through a unique internship at Sojitz Corporation in the Kasumigaseki area of Tokyo. The combined DC-Tokyo Japan Studies Award internships provide first-hand experience of what working for a Japanese corporation entails.

The Japan Studies Award includes a small stipend during the DC internship, roundtrip airfare to Tokyo, hotel accommodations, and stipend during the Tokyo internship. For more information about previous JSA winners, please see www.cepex.org.

How to Apply:

2018 application will be available on the CEPEX website in December 2018. Prospective candidates must submit a completed application by January 31, 2018 by email. Candidates will be invited to an in-person interview at CEPEX headquarters in Washington, DC during February 5-9, 2018. The winner will be announced on February 9 2018.

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About CEPEX: The Center for Professional Exchange (CEPEX) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the U.S.-Japan relationship and cultivating the next generation of U.S.-Japan experts.

Sojitz Foundation and All Nippon Airways have generously supported the CEPEX Japan Studies Award since 2011. For more information visit: http://www.sojitz-zaidan.or.jp/ and www.fly-ana.com.

CEPEX Japan Studies Award, CEPEX News none

CEPEX co-hosts Keizai Doyukai dinner with JET alumni

October 20, 2017 No comments

On October 17 CEPEX co-hosted a casual dinner and conversation at Tono Sushi restaurant with Keizai Doyukai Americas-Japan Committee co-chairs, Mr. Shigeru Yamazoe and Mr. Yukio Tada, and DC-area JET Program alumni. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program celebrated its 30^th anniversary this year, and many of the over 32,000 American alumni have an affinity for Japan long after they return home. Through continued engagement with visiting scholars, government officials and corporate executives, these unofficial Japan Hands have the ability to foster friendship and understanding, and strengthen U.S.-Japan relationship.

Mr. Yamazoe, Senior Executive Vice President of Marubeni Corporation, exchanged business cards with JET alumna (Kagawa-ken) and KAC co-founder Shanti Shoji. Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC) is a nonprofit that builds friendship and cross-cultural understanding through connected classrooms in the U.S. and Japan. Since 2012 KAC has connected over 6,500 high school students who are studying Japanese in the U.S. and English in Japan through an educational online platform.

(Left) JET alumni Vishal and Nick both lived in Mie-ken, and shared stories about their favorite places . (Right) former JETAADC president Maurice talks to JET alumni.

Following dinner, everyone introduced themselves. This was the first time for co-chair Mr. Yamazoe to meet with the JET alumni in DC. As a senior executive in one of the largest trading and investment corporations, he shared how his company has invested in businesses around the world, including 50 companies in the United States. Japanese companies are increasingly global. Of Marubeni’s 40,000 employees, only around 4,000 are Japanese, with the rest non-Japanese employees working in locations around the world.

Mr. Tada, Senior Adviser to Sojitz Research Institute, has engaged with JET alumni in DC since he was a visiting fellow at Brookings Institute in 1989. As a visiting professor at Hokkaido University, last week he conducted a special lesson on politics. He asked the 18-20 year old students to create a political party and decide what the main tenets would be. The most popular party the students created was called the “Love and Passion” Party. Mr. Tada was pleasantly surprised to discover how forward-looking and optimistic the students are. The stock market hit a 20-year high and these students have a very favorable job market in Japan. They are concerned about global issues including foreign defense due to North Korea. They also do not believe mass media, instead seeking out their own information. While high school students, he called them B/I “Before Internet”, and now in university they are A/I “After Internet”, able to discover news and information on their smart phones. Mr. Tada’s message to the JET alumni was that we can count on the younger generation in Japan, which has a positive view of the U.S.-Japan relationship.

Looking ahead to the October 22 elections in Japan, Tokyo Governor Koike had generated a lot of buzz about her Party of Hope. When it comes to defense and security issues, Ms. Koike’s party has a similar position to the LDP. Recent news indicate the LDP’s ruling coalition is set to win over 300 seats. There is a favorable outlook to mention Japan’s Self Defense Force in the Constitution, which combined with the Secret Protection Act, means Japan might not need to change Article 9.

While the Japanese younger generation holds a positive view of the U.S., the current president of the JETAADC alumni group asked Mr. Tada if the opinion of his students had changed about the United States under President Trump.

Keizai Doyukai-JET alumni

CEPEX Events, CEPEX News none

JET30 Reunion in Washington, DC

August 17, 2017 No comments

U.S. Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme Alumni Association (USJETAA), the 501c3 nonprofit in the United States, organized and hosted the JET30 Reunion, an all-alumni celebration of the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program in Washington, DC on August 4-6, 2017.

Celebrating 30 years of the JET Program, the reunion brought together alumni from all of the 22 chapters and subchapters located in the United States. JETAA Pittsburgh is a new subchapter of the JETAANY chapter.

Attendees included JET Program alumni from every year (1987-2016), some Monbusho English Fellows (MEF) alumni, and had lived in 46 of the 47 prefectures in Japan.

Two lucky participants in the USJETAA raffle won roundtrip tickets to Japan on ANA.

DC area JET alumni gathered for a group photo following the Natsu Matsuri reception and dinner.

CEPEX News none

Introducing the new CEPEX Director

August 17, 2017 No comments

Please welcome the new CEPEX Director, Jacquelyn Craven.

Jacquelyn graduated in 2015 from American University with a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Japanese Language. During her time at American, she studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan at Waseda University for one year. While in Tokyo, Jacquelyn volunteered at the Japan Study Abroad Foundation to help prepare Japanese students hoping to study in America. Since graduation, Jacquelyn has interned at the Stimson Center under the Japan program, researching Japanese politics and the US-Japan alliance. Jacquelyn also interned at the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies where she monitored developments in US policy towards the Korean Peninsula. Jacquelyn now works as the Administrative and Research Assistant at the Sojitz Corporation of America’s Washington, DC office.

CEPEX News none

CEPEX Japan Studies Award intern in Tokyo

July 12, 2017 No comments

For the 8th year in a row, CEPEX has conducted a special Japan Studies Award to provide a unique internship opportunity for a university student in the DC area in both the U.S. and Japan. This year’s recipient spent 10 weeks interning in the Sojitz Corporation of America’s Washington, DC office; and traveled to Tokyo for an immersive 11-day internship experience.

For more about this year’s JSA recipient’s experience in Tokyo, please read CEPEX JSA Tokyo Internship Experience Report.

The CEPEX Japan Studies Award is made possible through the generous support of Sojitz Foundation and All Nippon Airways (ANA).

CEPEX Japan Studies Award, CEPEX News none

Introducing the 2017 CEPEX Japan Studies Award winner

February 23, 2017 No comments

My name is Takahiro Kinoshita. Having been raised in a Japanese household and going through primary and secondary education in Illinois, I have had a unique and early exposure to seeing the interaction of Japanese and American culture firsthand. My father’s experience in business overseas, such as in his work in the Middle East, inspired me to pursue a similar path in a global setting. I am currently a third-year student at American University in the School of International Service with the prospect of a thematic and regional focus in Ethics, Justice, and Human Rights in East Asia. Some courses I have taken include non-western philosophy and world politics, which have provided me a strong foundation for interning at Sojitz. Alongside my study in IR, I am also working with the Japanese Department at American University. The work includes translating current events from Japanese text and dialogue into English.

The privilege of being able to work with a historically prominent institution like Sojitz will be a positive component in helping my understanding of the Japanese business environment. Many of my courses at American University have dealt with comparative politics and cross-cultural communications which has provided me greater context of the international system. I am excited to have this opportunity to apply my education in a professional setting such as Sojitz.

While I have frequently been to Japan to visiting family, this internship will be an exciting opportunity to engage myself in a professional capacity. I have no doubt that my experience here will be a valuable asset to my future pursuits in international relations.

The CEPEX Japan Studies Award is made possible through the generous support of Sojitz Foundation and All Nippon Airways (ANA).

CEPEX Japan Studies Award, CEPEX News none

SCA DC Welcomes Japan IDYL Intern

February 3, 2017 No comments

Keio University graduate student Mayuko Chashiro began her 8-week internship at the Sojitz Corporation of America’s DC office on January 27. Mayuko is part of the Japan Internship for the Development of Young Leaders (IDYL) program. The Japan IDYL program was created with support from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State to cultivate future leaders in the U.S.-Japan relationship and provide professional enrichment for Japanese university students and researchers.

This is not Mayuko’s first experience living and studying in the United States. During high school she was an exchange student in Minnesota, and she also conducted field work in the U.S. during the 2016 Democratic primaries. As an intern in the Sojitz office, May will attend a wide variety of think tank events with a particular focus on Japan-U.S. relationship under the Trump Administration; how the Democratic Party reorganizes and redefines their platform; and U.S. foreign policy.

CEPEX News none

2017 CEPEX Japan Studies Award Application

November 30, 2016 No comments

CEPEX 2017 Japan Studies Award

Desired Candidate Qualities Include:

· Strong interest in Japan

· Open to learning and trying new things

· Positive attitude

· Organized

· Self-starter and independent

· Able to work with minimal supervision

· Research skills a plus

· Able to work in a professional environment

· Flexible

· Interest in gaining internship experience

2017 Japan Studies Award APPLICATION

(click on the link above to access the application)

Application Timeline

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Please submit applications to uehara.nicole@sojitz.com by 5 PM on January 31.

Application Review: February 1-3, 2017

CEPEX staff will review applications and select candidates for in-person interviews.

INTERVIEW CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED: February 3, 2017

Successful candidates will be contacted via email to set up an interview date and time on February 3.

INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED: February 6-10, 2017

Applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited for an in-person interview with the CEPEX staff at the Sojitz Corporation of America’s office in Washington, DC.

RESULTS ANNOUNCED: Friday, February 10, 2017

Interview results will be announced by February 10, 2017.

10-week DC Internship: February 13-April 28, 2017

The Japan Studies Award winner will intern for 10 weeks in the Washington, DC office of Sojitz Corporation of America. Internship hours will be 5-10 hours/week, depending on the student’s schedule, with one week off for Spring Break. The 2017 Japan Studies Award winner will participate in think tank seminars, targeted research, and professional networking-related activities during the internship. A small stipend is provided during the DC internship.

10-Day Japan Trip: May/June 2017 (Dates TBD)

The Japan Studies Award winner will have an opportunity to travel to Tokyo for an internship with Sojitz Corporation. Activities will include a self-directed research project and first-hand look at the Japanese business world. Roundtrip airfare, hotel and a stipend are provided during the Tokyo internship.

CEPEX Japan Studies Award, CEPEX News none

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