Joan, a Japanese language student demonstrates to Mr Kikuchi how the equipment in the lab is used

Mr Hitoshi Kikuchi, Counsellor at the Japanese Embassy who is also the Director of Japan Information & Cultural Centre on Thursday, 15th May handed over Japanese Language Learning Equipment to Strathmore University. The equipment worth Kshs 1.5 million shillings has been installed as a digital language lab.

"I am very glad to see the equipment installed, a testimony to the appropriate utilization of the Grant. I am also very happy to learn that the equipment is already functional and that it is benefitting the students learning Japanese at the University," Mr Kikuchi said.

The lab has 21 PCs, a printer, TV, video playback machine (VCR), an audio system and 21 headsets. The University's Institute of Humanities Education and Development Studies (IHEDS) offers Japanese to all students pursuing undergraduate degree programs.

"Learning a foreign language provides an opportunity to learn about the people and society of that country. If more Kenyans learn Japanese, there will be more applicants for Japanese scholarships to pursue humanities," Mr Kikuchi said.
"All the eight Kenyan youngsters – most of them men - awarded Japanese Government scholarships this year will pursue natural sciences. I have the formidable challenge to rectify this skewed gender balance as well as the general tendency towards the natural sciences," Mr Kikuchi added.

The Japanese Government supports Kenya in the area of education, mainly focusing on scholarship and the Japanese language education. Beginning 2006, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) can be sat in Nairobi. Last year, 132 people took the test.

JALTAK (Japanese Language Teachers Association in Kenya), in conjunction with the Japan Foundation and Embassy of Japan, will hold the second nationwide Japanese Language Speech Contest in early October.

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