Arts student wins national Japanese speech contest

Jee Hyun is studying for a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Japanese and Chinese. As part of her studies she went on an exchange to Hiroshima University, funded by a Heiwa Nakajima Foundation Scholarship.

In her speech Jee Hyun spoke about her exchange experience and encouraged her fellow students to seize the opportunity to go on an exchange themselves. She argued eloquently for the value of being immersed in Japanese culture through the four seasons and making connections with people of the culture that she loves to study.

She is planning to travel to Japan in February to visit the friends she made during her exchange year. After that she hopes to continue into a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Japanese to further deepen her knowledge of Japan through research.

Jee Hyun was recognised at an awards ceremony attended by Dean of Arts, Professor Robert Greenberg and Head of School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics, Professor Bernadette Luciano alongside distinguished guests from local business and government organisations, prize winners' families and friends, and staff in Japanese.

The contest is run annually by Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand (JSANZ) for students studying Japanese in participating tertiary institutions throughout New Zealand. Entries to the contest are digitally video recorded in front of an audience, followed by spontaneous questions and answers in Japanese.