Introduction by Michelle Taylor

Michelle Taylor Major/Minor: Supply Chain Management, Global Logistics and Transportation Sophomore Host University: Queen’s University Belfast I have wanted to study abroad for years. I actually searched for colleges on the basis of how strong their study abroad programs are. I chose to study at Queen’s because it checked several important boxes for me. First, I wanted to study in an English-speaking country. I don’t have strong foreign language skills.…

Introduction by Chase Lee

Ciao, my name is Chase Lee, and I am currently a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in marketing. I am studying abroad in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University through the affiliate program SAI for the Fall 2023 semester. I chose this program because I’ve always wanted to travel to Italy, and it allows me to enhance my academic goals as a marketing major. John Cabot University is…

Introduction by Anna Cogbill

My name is Anna Belle Cogbill, and I am going to France! Specifically, I’m going to be studying abroad with the College of Charleston’s La Rochelle program. It’s a terrific way to spend the first half of my junior year, and I’m certain it will be infinitely beneficial in both of my majors, French & Francophone Studies and Communications. It’s the perfect scenario for growth in my fields of study;…

Trip to Hiroshima by Salina Saini

Whenever we learn about World War II, Hiroshima is also mentioned due to what occurred there. I love learning about history and visiting historic places, so Hiroshima was on my list of Prefectures that I wanted to visit. When the opportunity arose, we made it happen. We went on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Osaka which was bound for Hiroshima. After about an hour and a half, we arrived at…

Introduction by Salina Saini

Hi! My name is Salina, and I am a junior. I am currently double majoring in International Business and International Studies. My concentration is Asian Studies. I am studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. I love learning languages, so when I got the opportunity to take Japanese at the College of Charleston I was so excited. As I learned the language and was exposed to the culture, I…

Introduction by Aidan Stout

Konnichiwa, my name is Aidan Stout and I am a Junior at the College of Charleston. I am studying Computing in the Arts, with a Game Development concentration and I have decided to spend the fall 2023 semester in Japan attending Kansai Gaidai University, located in Hirakata, Osaka. I have taken four semesters of Japanese at CofC, so when I heard about this program, I knew it was something I…

A Tour Through a Local Hobby Store in Hirakata By Jackson Bass

If you’re thinking about coming to KGU to study, statistics suggest that you’re also a super nerd (it’s okay, we all are too). If you frequently delve into nerdy endeavors, you will be delighted to hear that there are lots of video game and hobby stores within walking distance from KGU! One of my favorite stores to go to is called Book-Off, which is a second-hand store specializing in just…

First Few Weeks in Japan by Jackson Bass

My first few weeks at Kansai Gaidai flew by! Immediately after I arrived, I met up with some other CofC students, some students from other universities, and Japanese students, and went on a day trip to Osaka. We went to Osaka Castle, a maid cafe that received extremely high praise from one of my friends, and ate a bunch of good food. I was surprised that I was already making…

Introduction by Jackson Bass

こんにちは!My name is Jackson Bass. Right now I am a sophomore at CofC, and I’m majoring in International Studies with an Asian concentration. The program I have chosen is the Asian Studies Program at Kansai Gaidai University, located in Osaka, Japan.  I have a strong desire to work in Japan after graduation, so naturally the ASP at Kansai Gaidai was a good pick for me! While I am here in…

Kansai Gaidai Sports Festival by Aidan Stout

This past weekend our university hosted a sports festival called Yui Cup, which was a competition between all the floors in the Yui international dorm. Sports days at schools in Japan are a very common competition to raise morale and bring the school closer together. Kansai Gaidai’s sports day consisted of dodgeball, scavenger hunt, ball toss, and a relay race. I had a lot of fun competing with my dorm…