English follows Japanese. An article prepared for a book of the 75th Anniversary, The Society of Chemical Engineers Japan (2012) 化学工学会75周年記念誌内記事の原稿

「留学生便り」

私は政府派遣奨学生として日本の魅力を知らないまま来日し、日本語学校、学部、大学院を経て、教員という立場となりました。学部生の時は日本になじめず苦労しました。各国からの留学生や外国人研究者を受け入れるようになった今疑問をもつようになったのは、多くの大学等の機関が留学生を受け入れる目的を、留学生は日本を選び留学する目的を、深く考えないまま、政策主導で留学生が増えている現状です。長期的なビジョンがないまま、プロジェクトや大学のメリットのために「使える人材」として留学生を獲得するという短期的視野が強くなることを恐れています。

留学生は日本に一時的に滞在する人材だという見方もありますが、日本の理解者として日本を離れた後も関係を継続できるのがベストです。私の見た限りでは、残念ながら日本社会の仕組みや慣習になじめず、誤解したまま帰国した例も少なくありません。

海外の資源とエネルギーに依存する日本にとって、留学生教育は将来への「投資」であり、教育の場において、質の高い「国際人材育成」を促進する存在です。留学後も日本型教育を受けたという共通点が効果的な媒体となって、日本と彼らとの関係が継続し、分野や国を超えた交流または連携が形成されることを望んでいます.

A message from a former international student

As a government-sponsored scholarship student, I arrived in Japan without knowing its charms, and have since progressed through Japanese language school, undergraduate, and graduate studies to become an educator (university professor). During my undergraduate years, I struggled to adapt to life in Japan. Now, as universities and institutions have begun accepting international students and foreign researchers, I find myself questioning the current situation.

My concern is that many educational institutions and students are approaching international student programs without deeply considering their fundamental purposes. The current trend seems to be policy-driven expansion of international student numbers, with a short-sighted perspective that views students primarily as “usable human resources” for institutional projects and benefits, rather than developing a long-term vision.

While some view international students as temporary residents in Japan, the ideal scenario is for them to become genuine understanding “ambassadors” who maintain connections with Japan even after leaving. From my observations, unfortunately, many students (graduates) return to their home countries with misunderstandings about Japanese societal structures and customs.

For Japan, a country dependent on overseas resources and energy, international student education represents an “investment” in the future. In educational settings, these students are crucial for cultivating high-quality “global human resources.” My hope is that their shared experience of Japanese-style education will serve as an effective medium, enabling continued relationships that foster exchanges and collaborations transcending national and disciplinary boundaries.

Text by Wuled Lenggoro (An article prepared for a book of the 75th Anniversary, The Society of Chemical Engineers Japan (2012))