COIL Interview Series(1): GLP International Seminar Australia, 2023
(GLP International Seminar Australia reflection session)
In this interview, a team from GOE asked for the experience of Nguyen Thi Thanh, from School of International and Public Policy about her experiences with COIL classes, especially with the GLP International Seminar Australia class held on Autumn 2023.
・Nguyen Thi Thanh (グエン・テイ・タイン）
Hitotsubashi University – School of International and Public Policy (国際・公共政策大学院）
Interview
1) Before joining this COIL class, which kind of international experiences did you have?
I used to be a student of Japanese in Vietnam. It brought me a lot of opportunities to communicate with foreigners because my university is quite international. I used to participate in many voluntary activities as a translator for Japanese people who came to Hanoi. Then I joined a one-year exchange program in Japan to learn both Japanese and English. These experiences broadened my mind a lot, so I started to keep on studying for a master’s degree program, and now I’m here at Hitotsubashi University.
2) What were your motivations for attending this course?
The reason I decided to apply for this course was because I wanted to have another similar experience to the “SIGMA Digital Transformation” course offered at Hitotsubashi. Also, I was fascinated by the intercultural topic of the course. I was from the linguistic department , so I expected to have a chance to study more about interculturality and especially having the chance to communicate with students from another university, which would help me understand more about intercultural issues and communication.
3) Looking back on the COIL session, what have you gained from the activity?
I learned so many new things, such as about Japanese disaster prevention. Also doing group work, I understand better how other people think, how to assess yourself in group work, and how to develop a presentation.
I learned that while in some cases people tend to listen to your ideas carefully with patience, in others they may have stronger opinions and seek for their opportunities and ideas. Such a situation may also come from the language skill each one has. Whenever I have to face this kind of situation working in groups, I now understand why people react like that, and could better coordinate my idea with other people’s ideas.
A lesson even for me now, is that I am ready to accept other cultures and their differences from mine.
(GLP International Seminar Australia online session)
4) Have you ever participated in other online classes? Do you have any unique experiences in those classes?
I attended an intensive online course, called SIGMA ‘Digital Transformation’, where I also worked on a project with students from universities abroad, including European countries and America. Students in this class mostly belonged to Graduate School, with some of them working along with their studies. The group work was conducted in a professional environment.
I also attended the GLP International Seminar US with Northwestern University. The class focused on nuclear issues, looking from both peace and security perspectives. The professor was very supportive of making students speak up their thoughts. Northwestern has a very organized Learning Management System (LMS) with every reading and visual material I needed to keep up with classes.
In group work with Monash students, I felt a cordial atmosphere. Students are friendly and try to interact with each other. I was somehow hesitating about my language ability, thinking “What would happen if I speak something not correct?”, but Monash students were very friendly. This was quite helpful for me.
5) As an exchange student, what differences did you feel between a virtual exchange project (such as COIL) and exchange programs in person?
I generally think about the advantages of participating in classes in person. Because I feel like people tend to be more responsible, more friendly, generally talking, and more talkative having a face to face conversation. So if we have a chance, it’s supposed to be better if we can come and meet classmates directly.
At the same time the experience I had with Monash students was valuable and meaningful. Even if I had other exchange experiences before, the more chances I have to learn from real people from other countries, the more I can change my mind and open my boundaries.
6) Did this experience change the way you interact with others? In which ways?
Yes, the experience in COIL classes changed the way I think about how I can interact with other people. I now work in a company, and there people tend to be more formal and professional, but in classes, people are learning with each other and trying to make friends. So I think such an environment brings you a valuable experience.
