News Release:
Visit heralds opportunities for Armidale in Japan
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Date 25/6/01 No 082/01 A visit to Armidale by members of Kanuma City Council in Japan
will strengthen a friendship that will take English language teachers
from Armidale to schools throughout Kanuma City. The visitors -- 10 councillors, one senior council officer, and
a guide -- will attend a formal dinner at UNE on Thursday evening
[June 28] where they will be welcomed by the University's Pro Vice-Chancellor
(Research and International), Professor Brian Stoddart, as well
as by the Mayor, Councillor Brian Chetwynd. The two-day visit follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNE and Kanuma City Council in April this year. The Memorandum extends an existing relationship between Armidale and Kanuma City to include cooperation in the research and teaching of English as a second language. As a result of the Memorandum, two contract positions as Assistant Language Teachers at schools in Kanuma City, each of two years' duration, are available for residents or natives of Armidale Dumaresq from August 1 next year. Kanuma City Council and UNE will also explore avenues of cooperation in relation to the University's Language Training Centre. |
Professor Stoddart said: "UNE regards this as a very important
relationship, as it provides opportunities for the students of both
countries to gain international experience. We see it as a long-term
relationship, and we are happy about the collaboration with Armidale
Dumaresq Council." Kanuma City, with a population of 94,000, is about 100 km north
of Tokyo. The City Council is responsible for Kanuma's education,
as well as other services that in Australia would be provided by
State or Federal Governments. The councillors will arrive in Armidale on Wednesday afternoon, and leave again on Friday morning. During the two days they will visit local businesses, and meet staff of Armidale Dumaresq Council. They will also visit Duval High School, which regularly hosts groups of school students from Kanuma. Media contact: Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE, Armidale (02) 6773 3049 |
