2025/5/21

Ever since its establishment, the Department of Italian Studies (Faculty of Foreign Studies, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies [KUFS]) has maintained a tradition of hosting international student exchange events twice annually, in the spring and the fall.

On the evening of Friday, May 9, the Department held this exchange event on the sixth floor of Building No. 4. They welcomed international students from Italy and provided the famous Tuscan treat biscotti, Italian chocolate and other snacks, creating a comfortable and amicable atmosphere for all in attendance.

In addition to providing a valuable opportunity for KUFS students to put the Italian language skills they had learned in class to real-life use, the gathering offered unique opportunities for students from differing academic years to meet and chat, and for experienced and prospective international exchange students to share information and tips. The result was an event that forged connections transcending departmental divides at KUFS.

Self-introductions by international students in their native Italian and also in Japanese made for even deeper-reaching mutual exchanges.

● Feedback From Participating Students
"I was a bit nervous prior to the event, but it turned out to be really fun. I learned about the Italian students' hobbies and where they lived, and recommended places for them to visit in Kyoto. The time really flew by!" — First-year student
"I just started studying Italian in April. Everyone listened patiently to my clumsy greetings and self-introduction speech, which made me really happy." — First-year student
"I met some Italian international students who were deeply interested in Japanese kanji characters. We talked about our respective cultures, and it turned out to be a really rewarding event." — Third-year student

The Department of Italian Studies plans to continue hosting various events that deepen students' understanding of different cultures and foster more international perspectives.

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