On a regular basis, Dr. Tomoe Nishio and students in her intermediate-advanced Japanese language class at the University of North Georgia (UNG) log onto their computers in the early morning or late evenings to talk to students at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.  This is one way the partnership between UNG and Nanzan University has helped both programs thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Tomoe Nishio

“The significance of this project has drastically increased since the pandemic hit the world,” said Nishio, assistant professor of Japanese at UNG. “With the cancellation of programs such as study abroad, Nanzan and UNG have added more Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects as the best alternative.”

Students testimonials (from an interview conducted with the students by J.K. Devine, from UNG Newsroom)

– Brianna Welch, a junior pursuing a degree in East Asian Studies who is from Cumming, Georgia, said her future career plans are structured in working with East Asian companies.

– Daniel Shearer, a junior and member of the Corps of Cadets pursuing a degree in East Asian Studies with a concentration in Japanese, has been involved in about eight COIL projects. He said the experience during the pandemic has added another layer to his education.

Read more here from UNG Newsroom: https://ung.edu/news/articles/2020/11/nanzan-collaboration-offers-students-connection-to-japanese-culture.php?fbclid=IwAR1yIbT-22CzxkWGkrBkgKXFSQt2BvJBdqFWzEc2VP17x5FwNBVpXCOShJA