50 Years of US Study Abroad Students : Japan As the Gateway to Asia and Beyond

Since the 1960s, Japan has been a historical leading study abroad destination for US undergraduate students. This book explores the long-term impacts of study abroad through a lens of knowledge diplomacy and the cultivation of individuals with understanding of the host country and world through transformative international experiences. Based on extensive original survey data and interviews with alumni over nearly 50 years of the Japan Study Program, the book provides a historical perspective on the personal impacts of study abroad on academic, professional, and personal development. The author further explores knowledge diplomacy seen as the creation of an in-depth understanding of the host country, familiarity of the host region, and awakened consciousness of the world through subsequent life experiences. Recipient of the 2020 Best Book Award from the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Study Abroad and International Students Special Interest Group. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of figures 10 List of tables 11 List of abbreviations 12 Acknowledgments 13 Introduction 14 PART 1: Study abroad’s personal and social roles in the 21st century 20 1. Study abroad as a high-impact educational experience in the internationalization of higher education 22 2. Study abroad through the lens of cultural diplomacy and soft power to knowledge diplomacy 38 PART 2: 50 years of US study abroad students in Japan 56 3. Changing dynamics of US study abroad in Japan from past to present 58 4. Academic pursuits and yearning for knowledge 76 5. Professional development and the transfer of skills across borders and cultures 94 6. Personal transformation and a lifelong influence 115 PART 3: Study abroad in the age of global competition and cooperation 130 7. The individual outcomes of study abroad through a transnational lens 132 8. The contemporary transnational role of study abroad and knowledge diplomacy 145 Conclusion 156 Index 160 "Since the 1960s, Japan has been a historical leading study abroad destination for US undergraduate students. This book explores the long-term impacts of study abroad through a lens of knowledge diplomacy and the cultivation of individuals with understanding of the host country and world through transformative international experiences. Based on extensive original survey data and interviews with alumni over nearly 50 years of the Japan Study Program, the book provides a historical perspective on the personal impacts of study abroad on academic, professional, and personal development. The author further explores knowledge diplomacy seen as the creation of an in-depth understanding of the host country, familiarity of the host region, and awakened consciousness of the world through subsequent life experiences"-- Provided by publisher