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Holding of the Completion Ceremony of the 30th Japanese language programs for Foreign Service Officers and the 14th Japanese language programs for Public Officials

May 27, 2011
Japanese

  1. On Monday, May 30, the completion ceremony of the Japanese Language Programs for Foreign Service Officers and Public Officials, which are conducted jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Foundation, will be held inside the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  2. A total of 40 people, comprising 32 foreign service officers and eight public officials from various countries, have taken part in the courses this time. Beginning on October 6, 2010, they have each been receiving eight months of training covering the Japanese language and the culture and society of Japan at the Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute, Kansai, which is scheduled to finish on Friday, June 3, 2011.

  3. After they return to their home countries, the participants in these courses are expected to be engaged in Japan-related affairs and to function as Japan specialists.

  4. At the presentation ceremony, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chiaki Takahashi will deliver a congratulatory address, after which the Director-General of the Public Diplomacy Department Naoki Murata will present the certificates. In addition, representatives of the trainees are scheduled to make a speech in Japanese, using the skills that they have developed through intensive study over the eight-month course.


Reference

  1. Japanese Language Programs for Foreign Service Officers was started in FY 1981, and up to and including the present 30th course it has been completed by a total of approximately 600 officers. Since FY 1997, the scope has been widened to include a course for public officials in addition to foreign service officers, and as of the most recent 14th course this course has been completed by approximately 1,000 officers.

  2. The completion ceremony will be held from 16:00 to 17:00 in the auditorium of the new wing of the MOFA building on the 7th floor.
    • (*This is a provisional translation. The above date denotes the date of the issue of the original press release in Japanese.)
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