News

On Sunday, July 19, the study abroad debriefing meeting for participating students from Keio's affiliated schools in the 2019 academic year was held at the West School Building Hall on Mita Campus. Care was taken to ensure that participants could keep their distance from each other.

In 2013, Keio established the "University-Endorsed Study Abroad Program for Keio University Affiliated Schools" in which students are selected from among its affiliated schools, regardless of school affiliation, to study abroad for approximately one year at a prestigious boarding school in the US or UK. Scholarships are awarded to cover tuition and other fees at the host schools. By receiving high-quality education while studying with some of the brightest students from around the world, these students have the opportunity to greatly broaden their perspective, and it is hoped that upon their return, they will create a ripple effect of inspiration among their classmates through stories of their study abroad experiences.

At the debriefing meeting, presentations by the eight students who took part in the study abroad program, including the two students who participated in the junior high school program which was introduced in the 2019 academic year, followed an address from Vice-President Masahito Omori. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the students participating in the program urgently returned to Japan in mid-March and remotely attended classes at the host schools. Although their time at the host schools was cut short, even under such circumstances, it could be seen from their talks that they had each taken on board many things and had grown through this experience.

Study abroad students in the 2019 academic year were as follows:

＜Third-year senior high school program (US)＞
　Phillips Exeter Academy: One student from Keio Girls Senior High School

＜Second-year senior high school program (US)＞
　The Taft School: One student from Keio Girls Senior High School
　The Hotchkiss School: One student from Keio Shonan Fujisawa Senior High School
　Choate Rosemary Hall: One student from Keio Shonan Fujisawa Senior High School

＜Second-year senior high school program (UK)＞
　Shrewsbury School: One student from Keio Senior High School
　Winchester College: One student from Keio Senior High School

＜Second-year junior high school program (US)＞
　Fay School: One student from Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior High School

＜Second-year junior high school program (UK)＞
　Winchester College: One student from Keio Chutobu Junior High School

In the 2020 academic year, there are plans to send eight students to study abroad. Of these, two will be participating in the elementary school program, which was newly established this year, and will be sent to the Dragon School in the UK.

（Reference）

・University-Endorsed Study Abroad Program for Keio University Affiliated Schools (Japanese)

Photo: Aki Takematsu