• Japanese students’ study tour to Charles Sturt University in Bathurst may herald new opportunities for international learning exchanges

Charles Sturt University in Bathurst recently hosted a study visit by three Japanese nursing students and an academic from Tokyo Ariake University (TAU) of Medical and Health Sciences.

The study tour from Tuesday 8 to Friday 18 August was made possible through Charles Sturt Global which runs a suite of inbound and outbound programs to help the University’s students add an international study experience to their degrees.

Manager of Charles Sturt Global Ms Samantha Ambridge said discussions were held on prospects for a similar program for Charles Sturt students to visit Tokyo, with the possibility that allied health or psychology students will be able to spend time at TAU in the future.

“Charles Sturt Global provides overseas study opportunities for the University’s students, including six- to 12-month exchanges and short-term summer/winter programs at partner universities, short two- to four-week faculty-led programs, internships and work placements,” Ms Ambridge said.

Adjunct Professor Michael Kiernan in the Charles Sturt School of Psychology said this was the first visit by TAU students to Charles Sturt as previously planned visits were postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

“The students are in their third year of a four-year undergraduate nursing qualification,” Professor Kiernan said.

“The aim of the program was to expose TAU students to Australian health care systems, nursing education in Australia, and in a limited way, to tourist and cultural opportunities in metropolitan Sydney and regional Bathurst and the Blue Mountains.”

The students, Ms Haruka Kanai, Ms Miki Ari and Ms Maine Tanaka were accompanied by Professor Mihoko Sasaka from the TAU Department of Nursing.

The students stayed in student accommodation on campus for the campus experience component of their program (8-16 August).

The Bathurst campus experience began with an Introduction to First Nations culture by Uncle Adrian Williams and Ms Julie Bennett, First Nations Student Advisor, at the Wammarra First Nations Student Centre.

Subsequent Bathurst campus activities included attendance at nursing and paramedicine classes, a tour of the Clinical Simulation Centre, observation of students undertaking simulated practice within the Simulation Centre, a tour of the campus, with brief visits to the Dental Clinic and the Ochre Medical Centre.

The students engaged in a dedicated lecture outlining Australian health systems, with a comparison to the systems within Japan, which is more hospital-based for primary care than in Australia. The lecture was greatly assisted by Professor Sasaka and the students’ own contributions.

The students also had the opportunity to engage with Charles Sturt students and staff outside of classes at a lunch hosted by the School of Psychology.

Important off-campus experiences in Bathurst that contributed significantly to the success of the program included a visit to Headspace, with a guided tour by Mr Sam Bolt (Community Engagement Coordinator), and a visit to Bathurst Hospital, with a lecture and guided tour by Ms Tracy Wittich (Director of Nursing and Midwifery).

The non-Charles Sturt component of the program involved a one-day visit to the Blue Mountains and a one-and-a-half day stay in Sydney.

Contact csuglobal@csu.edu.au for more information or visit Current Students Overseas Opportunities or find us on Instagram and Facebook @charlessturtglobal