Sep, 2021
AAEE conducted "Bangladesh-Japan Exchange Project 2021~From Extrospection to Introspection~ (BJEP2021)" from August 22 to 28. Twelve participants from Bangladesh and Japan had animated discussions on deep culture online and explored their identities and values.
In addition to the program, 3-day pre-program (on August 7,11, and 16) was also held to learn the surface culture of each country.
<Pre-program day1>
On the first day of the pre-program, Professor Akinori Seki, the president of AAEE delivered a welcome speech. After participants introduced themselves for the first time, they shared their hobbies, college life, and languages. Even though it was the very first meeting, there was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere among us.
<Pre-program day2>
On the second day of the pre-program, we exchanged our culture regarding clothes, food, and languages. Each participant wore traditional clothes of their countries and introduced them. They also had free talking sessions and exchanged their languages while having meals and snacks.
<Pre-program day3 >
On the third day of the pre-program, participants shared and learned the education and college life of both countries. They already got closed to each other and were well prepared for further discussion. In addition to the discussions, they enjoyed ice-breaking games and casual conversations. It ended up maintaining a warm and friendly atmosphere.
<Program day1>
The opening ceremony was magnificently held, inviting some special guests Prof. Mahboob Hossain at BRAC university in Bangladesh, who has been warmly supporting AAEE for a long time as well as Prof. Seki Akinori, who is the president of AAEE and Mr. Muinul Faysal of SWITCH foundation, which aims to eradicate poverty in Bangladesh. After the ceremony, all participants had a casual discussion about deep culture so that it ended with a warm, friendly atmosphere.
<Program day2 >
The theme of the second day was society. Participants shared and discussed the framework, issues, implied rules, and untold stories of each society. Through this activity, they analyzed how the individuals related to them. With such an appropriate topic for starting this program about "deep culture," everyone seemed to have a great time discussing and interacting.
<Program day3 >
On the third day, we addressed family as the main subject and had discussions in breakout rooms. After sharing typical family structures and family values of both countries, we asked those questions to each other: "What values did your parents pass on to you?", "Who is considered 'family' for you?" and so forth. The activities allowed participants to understand how family and its environments mold their identities and values.
<Program day4>
On the fourth day, we approached deep culture on an individual level, which was the deepest part of BJEP 2021. We discussed how our past experiences and environment influence "us", what motivates "us" and what shaped our value, focusing on an individual's way of living and personality. Through discussions, participants understood themselves and other people so that they had a good opportunity to consider themselves objectively.
<Program day5>
To sum up what we did during the pre-program and program, participants prepared for presentations on the event. Seven participants got started by reflecting on what they did in the previous days, and 4 participants got the time to get prepared for their individual speeches.
<Program day6>
This was the first day of the event, and students from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan came to watch. Everyone seemed very nervous at first, but as time went on, everyone became confident. Although it was an online event, the interaction between viewers and presenters through Zoom chat was very active, which made the atmosphere better.
<Program day7 (final day) >
Professor Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman(Vice-Chancellor of University of Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Professor Dr. Dalem Chandra Barman (Vice-Chancellor of Asa University, Bangladesh)
Professor Salma Akhter (Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Professor Dr. Mahboob Hossain (Department of Microbiology, BRAC University. Bangladesh) Ms. Tahmina Begum (Administrative Office, United Nations Population (UNFPA), Bangladesh)
We welcomed exceptional guests to our final event. We realized the importance of thinking about our own self again and again.
Although both pre-program and program were held online, participants spent fulfilling time by discussing for about five hours every day. We were impressed to see them collaborating and actively speaking about themselves despite the difficulty of exploring and expressing themselves. We hope that this program has a positive impact on those participants.
