People-to-People Exchange
Meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs HORII and former JET Programme participants from the Embassy of Canada in Japan
On May 1, Mr. HORII Iwao, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, visited the Embassy of Canada in Japan and had a meeting with former JET Programme participants working at the Embassy including Ms. Laurie Peters, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Canada in Japan. The overview is as follows:
- After the welcoming remarks from Deputy Head of Mission Peters at the beginning, State Minister HORII expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to hold the meeting and stated that the JET Programme has made significant contributions to the enrichment of foreign language education in Japan, the promotion of international exchange at the regional level, and the development of Japan-Canada relations over a long period since its establishment in 1987.
- Seven former JET Programme participants, including Deputy Head of Mission Peters, shared their experiences participating in the JET Programme with State Minister HORII. Afterwards, Ambassador of Japan to Canada Yamanouchi Kanji, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), who are involved in the JET Programme, joined the meeting, to exchange views on, career development after participation and ways further strengthening Japan-Canada relations in the future.
- State Minister HORII stated that the experience through JET Programme has brought invaluable impact on each participant’s career as well as opportunities for Japanese people to deeply understand cultural diversities, leading to promote international exchange, and expressed his expectation for further cooperation.
(Reference) JET Programme (The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme)
The program started in 1987 with the aim of inviting young foreigners to be appointed by local governments and other organizations to enhance foreign language education and promote international exchange in the region. The duties of participants include Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), and Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA). More than 10,000 young JET Programme participants have been invited from Canada, and more than 10 of them are currently working as diplomats at the Embassy of Canada in Japan.
