Japan Intercultural Academy of Municipalities
US Study Tour
July 7-17, 2001The Japan Intercultural Academy of Municipalities (JIAM) is under the authority of the Japanese Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications and has as its mission to develop the professional skills of Japanese municipal government employees, particularly in the field of regional internationalization. Located on Lake Biwa near Kyoto, JIAM hosts Japanese government personnel from throughout the country in a variety of professional development courses.
One of these courses is designed for municipal civil servants to explore international cultural and public policy issues. As part of this one-month training program, participants visit the United States for ten days to take part in a wide range of professional activities. In an effort to foster mutual understanding between the two nations, the program also seeks to maximize interaction between Japanese trainees and US citizens. In addition to attending lectures and site visits on various public policy issues, trainees spend an evening at the home of US hosts to provide both Japanese participants and US citizens an opportunity to learn first-hand about the other's culture and family life.
In 2001, 39 trainees from JIAM will participate in the United States study tour. The group will begin their program in Washington, DC for an overview of US government, history, and culture, and then divide into smaller groups and travel to one of three mid-sized cities. This year's host communities are Freeport, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Rapid City, South Dakota. In each host community trainees will visit local governments and organizations for an in-depth look at current issues affecting these communities and how the public and private sectors are forming partnerships to create and implement solutions. The group will reconvene in Chicago, Illinois before returning to Japan.
The US study tour is designed and administered by the Institute of International Education in cooperation with local sponsor organizations listed below.
Overall Program Coordination
Institute of International Education
Scholarship and Training Programs Division
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
tel: (212) 984-5552
fax: (212) 984-5393
Program contact: Ms. Susannah Spodek
Washington DC
Local Host Organization:Institute of International Education
Professional Exchange Programs Division
1400 K Street
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 326-7672
fax: (513) 326-7696
Program contact: Ms. Jamie BellisWeather Forecast for Washington DC
Freeport, IL
Program Theme:Care for the Elderly
Local Host Organization:Freeport Area International Visitors Council
tel: (815) 563-4619
fax: (815) 563-4157
Program contact:Ms. Nancy OtteWeather Forecast for Rockford (near Freeport)
Philadelphia
Program Theme:Community Revitalization via Local Cultural Assets
Local Host Organization:International Visitors Council of Philadelphia
tel: (215) 683-0999
fax: (215) 683-0998
Program contact: Ms. Amy SitnickWeather Forecast for Philadelphia
Rapid City
Program Theme:Life-long Learning
Local Host Organization:Dacotah Territory International Visitor Programs
tel: (605) 342-4476
fax: (605) 343-4324
Program contact:Mr. Michael RichardsonWeather Forecast for Rapid City
Chicago
Local Host Organization:Institute of International Education, Midwest Regional Office
401 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 722
Chicago, IL 60611
tel: (312) 644-1400
fax: (312) 644-3759
Program contact: Ms. Angela Markley