In order to create ‘role models’ for current and future students of Japanese, JSANZ is collecting stories of successful graduates who have studied Japanese or Japanese studies in NZ. There has been an excellent response, and profiles will be progressively uploaded to the JSANZ website.

They will also be used in promotional and advocacy materials by schools and tertiary institutions. The project is being conducted jointly with the Sasakawa Fellowship Fund for Japanese Language Education.

The co-chairs of JSANZ, Penny Shino and Dallas Nesbitt and executive committee member Masa Ogino attended the Japanese Language Education Global Network (GN) meeting in Sydney on 13th July. The three JSANZ members attended the meeting to observe and were invited to join the network.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the member countries; Canada, Korea, Australia, Europe, America, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and most recently, Indonesia. Representatives from Vietnam were also observing the meeting. Each country reported on current activity and membership.

Professor Tohsaku gave an overview of the Global Articulation Project with its core aim to ‘Think Globally. Act Locally’. Updates on activity in the Global Articulation Project in Japanese Language Education, one of the main activities of the Global Network, had already been presented at a panel session on 11 July.

JSANZ appreciates the opportunity to observe the GN meeting and would like to aim at becoming a member of the Global Network in two years time, to coincide with the next ICJLE conference in Indonesia, 2016. This will give JSANZ time to fully establish the tertiary teachers’ network in New Zealand, to complete the many projects currently underway, and to make a long-term plan for effective participation in the Global Network.