After a two day orientation at Queen Mary University of London, 185 new JET Programme participants from the UK gathered on the 10 July in the ballroom of the Embassy of Japan on London’s Piccadilly. They were seen off by a total gathering of around 300 guests at a reception where Japanese Ambassador HE Keiichi Hayashi said some farewell words.
JLGC Director Kazuya Shima’s toast
Also saying a few words about their upcoming Japanese adventures were JLGC Director Kazuya Shima who gave the toast and JET Alumni Association Chair Sarah Parsons who gave advice to JETs on how to make the most of their experience.
JLGC staff also travelled to Berlin in June to see off the five new German JETs who were bid farewell by a group of 50 gathered guests at the Japanese Embassy in Germany.
The JET Programme will next year reach its 30th anniversary. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme is administered through the collaboration of Japan’s local government authorities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR).
Aiming primarily to promote grass-roots international links at the local level, the JET Programme invites young graduates from around the world to participate in international exchange work and be involved in foreign language education at Japan’s local government offices, Boards of Education, elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools. The JET Programme has gained high acclaim both domestically and internationally for being one of the world’s largest international exchange programmes. The aim is for all people involved in the JET Programme, both the participants and the local people they live and work with, will build an international network and become successful in today’s global society.
The JET Programme has grown significantly over its 29 year history, with the number of countries participating in the JET Programme growing from four to forty-three, and the number of participants from 848 to 4,786. Since its creation, over 62,000 people from 65 countries have participated in the JET Programme, over 10,000 of them from the UK.
The new JETs flew out to Japan at the end of July, to start their new placements throughout the country at the beginning of September.
