Six students from Nagoya University and six from St John’s College, University of Cambridge, took part in a two-way exchange this year, spending about two weeks on each other’s campuses and finishing with a joint presentation on diversity on July 16, 2026.
The Nagoya University students traveled to Cambridge from late February to early March, sitting in on lectures matched to their fields, typically three to eight sessions each. Their hosts at St John’s College — who call themselves Johnians — organized the rest, including a formal dinner in the college’s candlelit hall, punting on the River Cam, and two day trips to London. In July, the Johnians came to Nagoya for English-taught courses, a lecture on “karakuri” mechanical puppets, a tea ceremony and kimono-dressing session, and a sumo tournament. They also visited Ise Grand Shrine, Ghibli Park, and a cormorant fishing outing. The students then presented their research on diversity, followed by a reception in Common Nexus.
For Roy Dip, now a first-year master’s student in electrical engineering, the Cambridge trip came one semester before he finished his undergraduate degree. Originally from Bangladesh, he had spent nearly four years in Japan through the G30 program, and said daily life had gradually become routine. “I was thinking maybe I’m going to graduate with that same feeling,” he recalled.
Cambridge felt like arriving in Japan for the first time again. Everything was new, and the days were packed, with an estimated 10 to 12 hours a day of shared activities in English and Japanese. Because he was neither British nor Japanese, he could move easily between the two groups. “I really thought it was a double exchange program for me,” he said.
What Roy remembers most is the people. In July, the Johnians spent whole days with the Nagoya students, and he made good friends among them. He hopes their paths cross again.
The trip also widened his plans for the future. “The world is so big,” he said. “I cannot just stop at Japan or England.” He wants to keep traveling and meeting people, and described the program as a chance to test himself abroad and find his strengths and weaknesses.
Launched in 2015, the program has received continuous support from the Tokai Tokyo Foundation, funded by Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings. The foundation’s donation helps cover travel costs for Nagoya University students going to Cambridge, and the current memorandum between the two institutions runs from 2022 to 2027. Participants reported on their experience to the foundation in March, and the company’s leadership is customarily invited to the farewell reception that follows the July presentation.
Applications for next year’s program close on October 21, 2026. Details: https://bit.ly/4zJa4lm
