“Malaysia and Penang Cross-Cultural Understanding Training” FY2025

Updated date: October 31 (Friday) *The event has been canceled.

Explanation video of the training (about 7 minutes)
Last year’s training video (about 3 minutes)

We will hold the second “Malaysia-Penang Cross-Cultural Understanding Training” for university students, junior college students, and graduate students (including international students) belonging to member universities of the University Consortium Kyoto.

Features of this training

🔶 At Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), students will receive lectures on culture, history, and ethnicity in English with local students (buddies), and deepen their interactions with buddies through hands-on experience.
🔶 Visitors to the Refugee Center and Mangrove Center will experience the significance of the SDGs firsthand through fieldwork. On the last day, one person will give a presentation in English.
🔶At USM’s CEMACS (Ocean Center), students will observe the creatures and plants that live in the ocean and learn about the SDGs from the perspective of marine resource conservation activities.
🔶 Visited Japanese companies, toured factories, and conducted Q sessions with local staff. You will be exposed to real voices working in multinational workplaces and learn how to work globally.
🔶 With a Buddy guide, you’ll tour the World Heritage Site of Georgetown in a small group, deepening your understanding of history and culture and friendship through exchanges.
🔶 As a day of self-improvement, we will set up free activities in the group to fulfill each person’s “I want to see”, “I want to go”, and “I want to do”.
🔶 For breakfast and dinner, you will enjoy a variety of local dishes with your buddy, and deepen your interactions with your buddy by experiencing real student life.
🔶 A large supermarket is a 2-minute walk away and there is also a food court where you can buy sweets, drinks, food and souvenirs, and you can enjoy popular cafes and restaurants in the nearby shopping mall.
🔶 At hawkers (street food stalls) and Ramadan Bazaar, which are popular locally, you can enjoy cheap, delicious and safe meals.
🔶 University Consortium Kyoto staff will lead the journey from beginning to end. Even students who are new to overseas can participate with confidence.

Recommended for people like this

🔷 People who want to make friends abroad
🔷 People who want to experience Malaysian culture, ethnicity, and history and have a cross-cultural experience
🔷 People who are not confident in their English skills but want to take lectures in English and interact with local students
🔷 People who want to visit overseas Japanese companies
🔷People who are interested in the SDGS (mangrove observation, refugee support activities, marine conservation efforts at CEMACS, etc.)
🔷 For those who are new to overseas training (we also do pre- and post-training!) ）
🔷 If you want to interact with students from other universities in Kyoto, please join us!

The charm of Penang

Penang, Malaysia is one of the safest cities in Southeast Asia. In addition, prices are very cheap, and even now, when the yen is depreciating, it is very cheap, 1/3 of Japan, and you can enjoy breakfast and dinner within 300 yen to 500 yen at local hawkers. In addition, there are three main ethnic groups living in Malaysia: Malay, Chinese, and Indian, but the people are very friendly and many are pro-Japanese, so you can stay with peace of mind. English is used as a semi-official language after Malay, and since Penang is visited by tourists from all over the world, English is spoken in most public places, including convenience stores and supermarkets. The climate in Penang is very mild, with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius in the morning and 30 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, and the period from November to March is a time when rainfall is low. Although it is during Ramadan, you can also enjoy the Ramadan Bazaar, which is only held at this time, and it is the best time to visit.

【Details】

【Organizer】

University Consortium Kyoto, International Business Department

[Travel agency]

H.I.S. Educational Travel Co., Ltd. 2nd Sales Office

【Itinerary】

*Please note that the schedule may change depending on local circumstances.

Voices of last year’s participants

*Last year, the number of participants was 12 (2 males and 10 females), and 5 universities (Kyoto Koka Women’s University, Kyoto Women’s University, Kyoto University, Kyoto Prefectural University, Doshisha University, 50 syllables)] participated, and more than 90% of the students rated it as “satisfied”.

・The local buddy was very kind and I was able to interact with him a lot. I was able to experience Malaysia’s multiculturalism firsthand.
・I was able to learn and experience various things with generous support throughout.
・It was good to have many experiences that I could not have done even if I went to study abroad on my own, such as the Refugee Center, Seamax, and Sumirabar.
・There were many things that I would not have been able to experience if it weren’t for this training, such as interacting with local buddies and activities at USM.
・There were a wide variety of programs, such as World Heritage sightseeing and contact with the natural environment, and I was able to learn about Malaysia from various directions and enjoyed it.
・I was worried about my first time abroad, but I was able to truly enjoy it with the reliable support system.
・Through the training, I was able to learn comprehensively about different cultures, the natural environment, and overseas companies, and I was able to balance learning lectures and sightseeing such as self-improvement.
・I was able to get along with local university students and feel a lot of culture that is not found in Japan.
・It was good to actually see and experience the cityscape and people of Malaysia, which is a multi-ethnic country.
・In addition to sightseeing, there were many opportunities to learn about Malaysia, such as interacting with buddies and giving lectures at universities.
・The training from various angles was substantial, and I was able to have a better experience than the short-term program at the university.
・Unlike when I went alone, it was good that I was able to interact with local university students and prepare various experiences.

Q from applicants *We will update the content sequentially according to your inquiries.

Q1  I’m not sure about other overseas training, can I cancel after applying?
A1  We are very sorry, but we do not accept cancellations after application. This is because those who have already applied may not be able to go.
We are accepting applications until October 31st, so if you have a first-choice training, please apply after knowing the results.

Q2  How much does a fuel surcharge cost?
A2  If you issue a ticket from September to October, this section is 20,000 yen round trip with Cathay Pacific, but the amount is still undecided because the ticket will be issued in January.

Q3  I want to participate alone, but I’m not sure if I can make friends.
A3  Last year, about 40% of the students participated alone, but there is no need to worry because we plan to interact with each other through self-introduction and games in the four pre-trainings.

Q4  There are days when I can’t participate in the pre-training twice, can I participate in the overseas training?
A4  Yes. It is possible to participate in overseas training. However, it is necessary to discuss group activities and cultural exchange in the local area, so please participate as much as possible.

Q5  I don’t have a passport, when do I have to prepare it?
A5  Please obtain your passport by mid-January. If it is difficult to prepare, we will consult with the travel agency, so please be sure to let us know.

Q6  Do I have to purchase overseas travel insurance?
A6  Please be sure to sign up as compensation in case of emergency. We recommend that you purchase insurance that can cover not only illness and injury, but also lost luggage and flight delays.

Q7  In the unlikely event that I have an accident or serious injury on site, who will respond to me?
A7  In cooperation with local Universiti Sains Malaysia staff and travel agencies (HIS), staff from the University Consortium Kyoto will respond. We will also handle transportation to the hospital and contact with parents in Japanese.

[About HIS’s optional tours]

★ Malaysian Cooking Experience: Payment and application will be made at the local Penang venue. (For details, please refer to the first pre-training) There is also a plan to apply online.
★ World Heritage Penang City Tour: https://activities.his-j.com/TourLeaf/PEN0073/
★ Penang Hill and Gokurakuji Temple Visit: https://activities.his-j.com/TourLeaf/PEN0078/
★ Peranakan Mansion and Georgetown World Heritage Site Tour with Tri-Show Ride https://activities.his-j.com/TourLeaf/PEN0077/

*In addition, as introduced on the website, various optional tours can be used for an additional fee.

*If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us at the contact information below.

Inquiries

[University Consortium Kyoto, International Business Division]
〒600-8216 Campus Plaza Kyoto
Phone: 075-353-9164 (Tuesday and Saturday 9:00-17:00 Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Email: kokusai■consortium.or.jp (Please change ■ to @ and send it.) ）

《Click here for information on Penang》

◆Universiti Sains Malaysia
URL:　https://www.usm.my/
URL:　https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJfoREjcbOE
◆USM Campus Tour 2020 (USM Campus English Explanation Video)
URL:　https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSrzpcScEo

◆CEMACS (Center for Ocean Research) https://youtu.be/uWkZKa8ei9E
◆Malaysia Penang Tourism Board
URL:　https://www.tourismmalaysia.or.jp/area/penang_01.html
◆Penang Digital Brochure
URL:　https://www.tourismmalaysia.or.jp/pamphlet/index.html