Jeanine is the General Manager of Marketing and Communication at the crown entity Antarctica New Zealand.
Japanese language education
Secondary School:
- Studied Japanese from age 10, through to end of schooling.
- Spent penultimate year of schooling on American Field Scholarship (AFS) in Oita-Ken, Kyushuu, Japan living with a Japanese host family and attending a local high school.
Tertiary:
- Bachelor of Arts degree (Hons) in Political Science, with an undergraduate double major in Political Science and Japanese at the University of Canterbury.
- Master of Arts degree through the National Center For Research on Europe
Thesis: Foreign policy Decision Making Between Japan and the European Union: 1991-2005
Motivation to begin Japanese language studies:
Jeanine began studying Japanese when she was 10 years old and was fortunate to attend a school where the language was offered to younger students. She loved art, but her parents felt that studying a language would be more beneficial for her future. Jeanine says that learning the Japanese characters fulfilled her artistic needs at the time.
Jeanine then went on to study Japanese at high school and had a talented teacher who kept her excited about the language and began engaging her in the culture. Her AFS year in Japan was spent in a rural setting, escalating her understanding of the language and culture and fuelling her interest in the country even further.
Skills gained as a result of studying Japanese:
From her studies and time spent in the Japan, Jeanine believes she has gained valuable insight into intercultural nuances that often cause undue stress when negotiating bilaterally at a business, political and even social level. She says:
The old cliche “it’s not what is said, rather what is not” has certainly be confirmed. My naturally outgoing personality does not change when working with Japanese however I recognize the more passive nature of Japanese clients.
Jeanine also says it is important to work alongside less-experienced colleagues to help them navigate the ‘Japanese-way’ adding that the skills learnt from the study of a language and culture are not limited to any one specific country. Understanding, whether in a business or social environment, each country has different perspectives that are not necessarily ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, the study of language study confirms many of the peculiarities in the English language and creates a wariness round this.
Use of Japanese language skills and knowledge in current employment:
Jeanine is the General Manager of Marketing and Communication at the crown entity Antarctica New Zealand. The entity, which provides logistical support for New Zealand’s scientific endeavours in Antarctica, works closely with many other national Antarctic Programmes under the Antarctic Treaty System and her ability to communicate to a diverse audience is essential. She has just returned from her first trip to Antarctica and is looking forward to taking a number of media to the ice later this year as part of the organisations outreach programme.
Jeanine’s previous work includes 6 years working in New Zealand’s Parliament focused on Foreign Affairs and Ethnic Affairs among other portfolios. She says understanding how to direct communications to specific groups, and translate an accurate interpretation of cross-cultural work is essential to succeed. She also has been part of some amazing international companies working in the field of Public Relations. At a voluntary level Jeanine works with young people looking to broaden their horizons through student exchanges and helps to prepare them for their experiences. She is part of the advisory group at the Asia New Zealand Foundation has been an advisor to the board of Sister Cities New Zealand.
In 2010 Jeanine formed the Youth Advisory Council of the Japan New Zealand Business Council (yJNZBC), as part of the succession plan for the wider Council, to create professional development opportunities for young career-focused Kiwis working with companies who have links with Japan.
Time spent in Japan and benefits gained:
Jeanine has visited Japan many times for a variety of reasons – student exchanges, work and conferences with the Japan New Zealand Business Council and holidaying.