Professor Jeff Plant and 10 students were more than 6,500 miles from home for 27 days recently, but they weren’t lost.

The TTU contingent with a few of their Dohto University friends. Back, from left: Micha Moorhead, Arron Smith, Michael Cagle, Sean Lowry, Jacob Sharp, Cade Morgan and Tosh Sakabe. Front, from left: Noriaka Okajima, April Whitehead, Brandon Long, Regis Billings, Sara Miller and Jeff Plant.

They were members of the first-ever local study group to visit Dohto University, our sister institution in Northern Japan. Next week, we welcome a three-week student tour from Dohto, one of several to visit here since we began collaborating.

The two universities have teamed up for some time to offer an international online course each year that enables students from both universities to work together virtually, but the visit to Japan provided even greater opportunities for cultural exchange and for enhancing the collaborative relationship.

“I felt that we made very good progress with our goals on this trip,” says Plant, who led the tour and was an instructor for the most recent international course. “Our students all served as wonderful ambassadors of TTU, and I believe we cultivated and enhanced our relationship with the Dohto administration in ways that will build positively on the tradition and commitment that already exists."

Coordinated through our International Affairs Office, the study tour provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for participants to witness day-to-day life in Japan and to learn about Japanese culture, language and history.

The trip also helped administrators from the two universities facilitate discussion about three possible international online course offerings, as well as the possibility for future student exchange programs and maybe even a teaching exchange program.

“We’d especially like to recognize the hospitality of Chancellor Jun Sakurai, President Masanori Sakurai, International Affairs Director Noriaki Okajima, long-time contact Tosh Sakabe and all the Dohto faculty,” Plant says.

TTU’s International Community Hospitality Association can provide information about hosting a home stay for a Dohto student during the coming visit. For more information, call Katie Kumar at 3371.