March 11, 2011: A “triple disaster” — a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown — struck Japan, resulting in the nation’s largest crisis since World War II.
More than a year has passed since the disaster but relief efforts have not ceased, and Ohio University’s five-year relief plan is still in full swing.
Both Christopher Thompson — director of the OU Japan study abroad programs, associate professor of Japanese language and culture and department of linguistics chair — and Tom Scanlan, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences created the plan to help Japan recover from the devastation.
The plan has many components, including long-term commitment, reactivation of two OU alumni chapters in Japan, help from the Japanese Students Association and a partnership with Iwate Prefectural University in Japan, Thompson said.
Thompson and Kuninori Matsuda, the Consul General of Japan in Detroit, were both scheduled speakers for The University of Findlay’s “Reflecting on the Tsunami: Today and Tomorrow” presentation on April 3.
Matsuda approached Thompson about visiting OU after hearing about the plan, Thompson said.
As Consul General of Japan, Matsuda works under the Ambassador of Japan to the United States to promote trade and business development and cultivate relations between Japan and the U.S.
It is important to have more than a superficial understanding of people and places outside the United States, said Daniel Weiner, executive director for international studies.
“(The) 21st century globalization impacts many aspects of everyday life and the types of employment that students will have access to after they graduate,” he said.
Matsuda will be speaking about the importance of building an economic relationship between Japan and southern Ohio, as well as the importance of learning another language.
There is great value in learning about the similarities and differences among cultures, said Krista McCallum Beatty, director for international students and faculty services.
“As our world becomes increasingly more interconnected, having an understanding and appreciation for other cultures and the skills to interact becomes more important for everyone,” she said.
IF YOU GO:
What: The Importance of Learning Japanese in Ohio by Kuninori Matsuda, Consul General of Japan in Detroit
When: 2 p.m. Monday
Where: Friends of the Library Room, Alden 319
Admission: Free
ao007510@ohiou.edu
