A First for UC: Three Undergraduates Receive Prestigious Scholarships for Study in Japan

Students from around the globe vie for the prestigious scholarships provided by the Japanese government to international students.  So rigorous is the competition that, historically, any university in North America with an applying student is lucky to receive one of the awards provided by Japan’s Association of International Education.

Yet, the University of Cincinnati will actually send three students to study in Japan during the coming academic year via the program:  William Bowman, a freshman in Asian Studies; Kim Burgas, a third-year student in sociology; and Brandon Pittman, a senior double majoring in International Affairs and Asian Studies.  Bowman and Pittman will both study at Nagoya University for a year while Burgas will study nearby at the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies for six months.

“It’s quite a feather in our cap to have three of the scholarship recipients,” explained Susan Bacon, interim director of UC’s Institute for Global Studies & Affairs.

Scholarship recipient Brandon Pittman of Cleves agreed.  “This isn’t the first time I’ve applied for the scholarship.  The first time I applied, I was told that Nagoya University – which is in Japan’s fourth-largest city – only gives three scholarships in all of North America.  That time, I was fifth on the list.  Then I applied again for this year and was accepted,” he said.

During his stay in Japan from September 2004 through July 2005, Pittman – like the other students – plans to focus on Japanese language and culture classes.  He’ll also be working on his senior thesis and studying kendo, a form of Japanese swordmanship.  He adds, “My senior thesis will focus on Japanese politics in some way, perhaps the relationship between Japan and Taiwan.  What better place to go to research your thesis on Japan than in Japan?”

Similarly, Bowman, a resident of Withamsville, has a few other goals besides immersion in the Japanese language and culture.  A former physics major who just earned a UC baccalaureate in philosophy, Bowman wants to visit Tokyo’s technology district, which he described as a “geek haven.”  He figures, “The most challenging thing will be the language barrier since I’ve just finished my first year of study in the language.  But I must like a challenge.  I was a philosophy major after all.”

At Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Burgas – from Toledo – will take language and culture classes, including art, calligraphy, history and social sciences from mid-September 2004 through January 2005.  She said, “I’d also like to travel to the smaller towns outside Nagoya.  It’s a pretty big city, but I’d like to see smaller, more historic locales to examine the architecture, traditional temples and art.” 

Though her time in Japan will be her first opportunity to travel abroad, Burgas isn’t sure just how homesick she’ll really get since her family is also going to take advantage of her opportunity – by visiting while she’s in Nagoya.  Burgas states, “I wanted the experience of studying abroad because I’ve never been abroad before.  I’m a little nervous and very excited, and my family is extremely excited for me, so much so that they’re already making plans to visit me and have their own tour guide/interpreter.”