Meet the First CIEE Japan 50-Year Anniversary Scholars

This summer, CIEE’s Study Centers in Prague, Czech Republic; Paris, France; and Barcelona, Spain, hosted students from the International Christian University in Mitaka, Japan, alongside students from colleges across the U.S.

As the first CIEE Japan 50-Year Anniversary Scholarship: Summer Study Around the World recipients, Mao Minami, Mikiko Saigo, and Marina Tanabe received full scholarships to take part in CIEE summer study abroad programs. Mao selected the Summer Communications, New Media, and Journalism program in Prague; Mikiko chose to immerse herself in the French language as part of the Summer Language and Culture program in Paris; and Marina advanced her business studies in the Summer Business and Culture program in Barcelona.

To start their journeys, the students were honored by CIEE staff at a special ceremony at CIEE Tokyo, Japan, on June 27, 2016.

Mao, Mikiko, and Marina are the first of 50 promising young Japanese university students who will receive CIEE Japan 50-Year Anniversary Scholarships to study abroad on CIEE summer programs in more than 40 countries around the world.  Through the scholarship, CIEE seeks to overcome the main barriers to study abroad – cost, curriculum, and culture – to allow more Japanese students to take part in important international education experiences. 

CIEE created the scholarships in September 2015 to commemorate 50 years of partnership with Japanese educators and students. Since our office in Tokyo opened in 1965, CIEE has provided scores of educational exchange programs to more than 60,000 Japanese and international students and educators who have gone on to serve as leaders in business, education, the arts, and public service. The experience they’ve had has opened the door for alumni to work across cultures as global citizens, helping to bridge cultural differences and encourage warm relationships between nations, businesses, and people.

Learn more about the CIEE Japan 50-Year Anniversary Scholarships.