This paper is to clarify the required intercultural competence of Japanese business persons working in overseas through the interview survey. The fundamentalfactors to successfully collaborate with foreign people are (1) cooperative and responsible attitudes in adjusting themselves among the cross-cultural situation and (2) knowledge of each of the countries such as history and culture. Based on these, the tasks are accomplished by using (3) expertise and experience in the required business field and (4) the practical job performance skills, i.e. the ability to develop mutual trust and the ability to think, discuss, and negotiate logically and critically. Through the collaboration process, (5) the language skills are used as the communication tool. Japanese often equate the language skills in English with the intercultural competence. However, the other factors are also crucial. Among then, the college level education has a compelling need for (1) and (4).

This paper explores and expands upon previous research regarding the experiences of international students coming to Japan and actively looking for employment after graduation. By utilizing Life-Story methodology, the authors conducted interviews on three students from different countries who are currently attending a graduate school in Japan. The results show that there are three barriers to finding employment: 1. Inadequate Japanese language proficiency; 2. Corporate perception issues of ideal employees and a difficult job-hunting system; and 3. A lack of support from universities. The authors then suggest ways of overcoming these issues to help international students secure employment after graduation.

This paper argues the necessity to foster collaboration between different levels of education and the possibility to develop curricula from a perspective of K-16 (from kindergarten to university education), with the aim of cultivating globally competent human resources/citizens. Cultivating these people is no longer only an issue for higher education, but also other levels of education including nursery, primary and secondary schools, whose educational programs are increasingly internationalized. School children are expected to have international experiences from early stage and, as they progress to the next educational level, gradually to acquire abilities and competences that are needed in the globalizing society. Thus, it is crucial for schools and universities to join forces and develop curricula that provide children, pupils and students with consistent learning objectives and environment where they are allow edcontinuously to have international experiences and support throughout K-16 education.

Students enrolled in a team-taught course promoting study abroad were given a survey. The survey was designed to track three separate changes in the way students thought about study abroad after having completed the course. Specifically, the objectives were to track changes in (1) what goals students associated with study abroad, and (2) what types of international programs they considered when planning their own study abroad experience. The third aim of the survey was to analyze (3) what influence the course might have had on students’ career goals. The course format, consisting of a series of guest lectures, was designed to promote study abroad, and to encourage more students to work overseas after college. The course consisting of 12 guest lectures was offered to provide an opportunity to hear from individuals with various kinds of overseas experience. The course focused on promoting both short-term and long-term study-abroad programs and global internship programs for those wishing to pursue careers within international organizations. Drawing on the various perspectives of the 12 guest speakers, the course was designed to help students plan study abroad and eventually become fully engaged members of the global community. The 173 students who responded to this survey questionnaire were interested in studying abroad. Also, reflective papers on guest speakers were used in the analysis of the qualitative research. The survey found that they offered valuable insight as to how the course changed their values and motivation for study abroad, though the course did not greatly affect the types of study abroad programs they chose or their future career plans.

The learning experience in overseas provides not only educational opportunities but also impacts for students’ personal growth. They can have good chances to think globally which they have not done before. Meanwhile, teachers and staffs are always searching for program contents, teaching methods and materials to educate undergraduates, and then encourage them to be globally-minded individuals. Now a challenge is the way how we can help developing those students effectively. Kwansei Gakuin University (Center for International Education and Cooperation) wasawarded both “Go Global Japan Project (GGJ)” and “Top Global University Project (SGU)” by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).It has been engaged in global competency education and practiced with the International Volunteers Program. Through close monitoring and careful observations,the university learned that the students who completed their volunteer activities in developing countries could really expand their capabilities such as awareness for poverty gap, historical view points and cross-cultural understanding. In this article, while introducing two different theoretical concepts; Situated Learning by Lave and Wenger and Problem-Posing Education by Freire, the author finds out what and how impact students’ capability and what is lying down behind those changes.