VU Japanese Studies - An Education for Life
We have all heard the expression, "an education for life." Well, this expression holds significant meaning for me. Between the years 1990 and 1992, I studied Japanese culture and language under Villanova University’s Japanese Studies program. Starting with Japanese history and cultural, I further studied the language courses. These courses prepared me with international communication skills that would enhance my career for many years to follow.
The Villanova Japanese Studies program can best be described as effective and practical. I experienced a highly immersive learning environment through dialogue building and role play exercise. These reality drills prepared me for actual business and social situations I would encounter later in Japan. They also helped me master the proper mix of appropriate behavior and articulation in my conversations. This allowed me to refine my communication skills and cultural sensitivity for dialogues in real-time. After studying Japanese at Villanova, I was confident to speak the language immediately upon landing in Japan for the first time.
My lesson experiences have paid off far more than I expected. Not only have they allowed me to contribute to numerous companies in and outside of Japan during my career, they have also allowed me to develop my own company while living in Japan. These skills have been essential for communicating with my staff, meeting with Japanese clients, and solving the various business issues necessary for running a global business. Today, with my business operations in Japan and the U.S., I continue to apply the valuable lessons learned from
