Example
A Graduate of the Okayama University CLS Program Delivered a Speech to Prime Minister Kishida as One of the ‘Next-Generation Leaders Fostering Japan-U.S. Friendship and Cooperation’
On April 9, Angel Bryant, a 2023 graduate of the Japanese Language Program at Okayama University's CLS, who is currently a fourth-year student in the International Affairs Program at Howard University, delivered a speech in Japanese to Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio during his visit to Washington D.C. The speech focused on Ms. Bryant's experience studying abroad in Japan and her aspirations for the future.
Ms. Bryant, who has had an interest in Japanese language and culture since childhood, first came to Japan in 2023 as part of the Japan-U.S. Exchange Program "Kakehashi Project," sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Subsequently, in June of the same year, she returned to Japan as one of 25 scholarship recipients selected from across the United States for the CLS Japanese Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She spent approximately 8 weeks at Okayama University studying the Japanese language and issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Afterward, Ms. Bryant received two scholarships and embarked on a six-month study abroad program at a university in Osaka starting in the fall of 2023. Currently, she is interning at the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency that supports partnerships between Japan and the United States through education and cultural grants, as well as at CULCON, a bilateral advisory committee that provides policy recommendations to both the Japanese and U.S. governments.
Starting in the fall of 2024, Ms. Bryant is set to pursue a Master's degree in International Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, renowned as one of the world's leading institutions in the field. She plans to conduct research on U.S.-Japan relations and the Japanese language.
Ms. Bryant concluded her speech with the words, "In the near future, I hope to be able to contribute to all of you," expressing her commitment to making a positive impact in the world.
We look forward to Ms. Bryant, also a graduate of Okayama University's program, playing a pivotal role as a global talent supporting future Japan-U.S. partnerships.
●Critical Language Scholarship Program
The Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS) is a language learning program funded by the U.S. Department of State to cultivate language skills crucial to national security and expand the pool of American teachers capable of teaching those languages. In 2024, the program is scheduled to be implemented in 13 languages worldwide, including Russian and Chinese. As of 2024, Okayama University has been the sole host institution in Japan for the Japanese language program since its inception in 2019.
Ms. Bryant, who has had an interest in Japanese language and culture since childhood, first came to Japan in 2023 as part of the Japan-U.S. Exchange Program "Kakehashi Project," sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Subsequently, in June of the same year, she returned to Japan as one of 25 scholarship recipients selected from across the United States for the CLS Japanese Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She spent approximately 8 weeks at Okayama University studying the Japanese language and issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Afterward, Ms. Bryant received two scholarships and embarked on a six-month study abroad program at a university in Osaka starting in the fall of 2023. Currently, she is interning at the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency that supports partnerships between Japan and the United States through education and cultural grants, as well as at CULCON, a bilateral advisory committee that provides policy recommendations to both the Japanese and U.S. governments.
Starting in the fall of 2024, Ms. Bryant is set to pursue a Master's degree in International Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, renowned as one of the world's leading institutions in the field. She plans to conduct research on U.S.-Japan relations and the Japanese language.
Ms. Bryant concluded her speech with the words, "In the near future, I hope to be able to contribute to all of you," expressing her commitment to making a positive impact in the world.
We look forward to Ms. Bryant, also a graduate of Okayama University's program, playing a pivotal role as a global talent supporting future Japan-U.S. partnerships.
●Critical Language Scholarship Program
The Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS) is a language learning program funded by the U.S. Department of State to cultivate language skills crucial to national security and expand the pool of American teachers capable of teaching those languages. In 2024, the program is scheduled to be implemented in 13 languages worldwide, including Russian and Chinese. As of 2024, Okayama University has been the sole host institution in Japan for the Japanese language program since its inception in 2019.
Ms. Bryant at the welcome ceremony for Prime Minister Kishida
Representatives from the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Secretariat and the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation (Ms. Bryant in the center)
