2016 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 40-49
Many Japanese universities provide students with the opportunity to earn course credit for short-term and long-term overseas internship programs in the interest of helping them develop knowledge of other cultures. The purpose of this survey is to explore the primary practices that cultivate cross-cultural communication skills, international business knowledge, intercultural interaction skills, and the ability to work within and learn from cultural diversity. An additional aim is to analyze the advantages of short-term overseas internship programs as experienced by Japanese students. The target population for this study is current undergraduate students enrolled in a short-term overseas internship program at a private Japanese university. This study finds that internship program can offer a great way for students to develop their international business knowledge and intercultural interaction skills. Offering different types of study-abroad programs, including overseas professional internship programs, has the potential to interest more Japanese students in studying abroad, and to cultivate more globally minded young adults.
