A report on Yoneyama progress in observation of its Foundation Month
Why I had chosen Japan for my studies, and my plans for the future
October 5th, 2005
Tokyo Club member and Executive Managing Director of the Yoneyama Scholastic Foundation
Mr.Yukio Miyazaki
Foundation Fellow
Ms. Thi Cat Uyen Nguen
At the meeting of October 5, Tokyo Club member and Executive Managing Director of the Yoneyama Scholastic Foundation gave a report on its progress in observation of Yoneyama Foundation Month:
In 1952, when Japan was recovering from the last war, Tokyo Rotary Club president Josaku Furusawa’s committee established the ‘Yoneyama Foundation’ to assist overseas scholars studying the Japan. Later support became nationwide, and the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Scholastic Foundation was formally established.
In order to widen the resolve that Japan would not report its mistake, and in order for other countries to understand it’s resolve, we wished to welcome scholars from abroad and establish intimate relations with peace loving Japanese.
This foundation which was established as a memorial to the founder of Rotary in Japan has given assistance to 12,000 students from 104 countries, and is the largest private scholastic foundation in Japan.
As a characteristic, each student has a counselor assigned from the club sponsoring him, and this year it is member Eiicih Taguchi, with member Shigeo Ono being on District Yoneyama Foundation Committee, and member Shintaro Uyeda serving on the Yoneyama Foundation Scholastic Committee.
Foundation Fellow Ms. Thi Cat Uyen Nguen spoke to the meeting on why she had chosen Japan for her studies, and her plans for the future:
I am currently belong to the Human Sociology Department’s Social Information Section of Mejiro University, and am studying a human’s relation to society, how to relate to the information society, how to obtain information in a computer society, and effective use of means of advertising. By use of the computer, one can gain almost of the necessary information by sitting in one’s room. It can also be used for disseminating any information.
I was moved by being able to see the surface of Mars in real time by pictures transmitted by satellite. By using Internet, I hope to see Vietnamese and Japan’s business and culture become more intertwined, and I am looking forward to studying the creation of a Japan Data Bank in Vietnamese.
After I graduate Mejiro University, I wish to study law which I took at my college in Vietnam for another 2 years then return and become a lawyer. Using the computer and by Internet, I wish to help my father export his rattan merchandise worldwide, and as a lawyer, to become involved in our trade relations with Japan.
The reason I chose Japan for study is related to my father’s business. He manufactures household furniture made of rattan and exports to Japan. While helping him, I heard many things about Japan and became interested.
Commercial transactions were mainly done in English in which my father is not fluent so we were often puzzled by the Japanese buyer’s delicate demands. I read books on Japan but the only ones available were on economy and history, so I decided to study in Japan and see for myself.
Coming to Japan, I learned that Japan’s modernization was largely due to increasing efficiency in its manufacturing processes reducing cost. The use of robots and computers also were a great help.
I was astonished at the development of the Internet. I deeply felt that what Vietnam needed was common use of the computer, or Internet. After some investigation, I decided to enroll in Mejiro University for this purpose.
Compared to Vietnam, Japan is an advanced country in many ways. I wished to study and learn as much as I could while in Japan, but had to take side jobs for my living and thus had little time to spare.
I am deeply grateful for having been chosen as a Yoneyama Scholar, which enables me to concentrate on my studies.
The relations between Vietnam and Japan surely will become closer, and as a Yoneyama Scholar I hope to serve as a bridge between the two counties.