A group of eleven students and two faculty members from the International Maritime Business Course at Massachusetts Maritime Academy came to Kobe University’s Faculty of Ocean Science and Technology for a three-week intensive study abroad program from June 19th to July 9th, 2025.
This program centers on student exchange activities between Kobe University and Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), and was initiated in May, 2024. The program was designed to immerse the MMA students in a wide variety of educational, experiential learning, and cultural immersion activities aimed to enrich their world perspectives while also providing the host students with valuable cross cultural experiences.
The MMA students received customized academic lectures on maritime topics provided by 14 different faculty members and visiting scholars, visited key local maritime industry sites including Osaka Container Terminal and the Port of Kobe, took a cruise on Kobe University’s training vessel Kaijin Maru, made cultural excursions to Kyoto and Himeji, and joined in a beach cleanup activity in Nishinomiya. The MMA students also participated in several general English and maritime English classes with Kobe University students and were able to partake in communicative activities, presentations, and discussions that were meaningful and memorable for both groups of students.
The second year of this program was a great success, as indicated by the collection of highly favorable feedback data from both Kobe University and MMA students. Kobe University looks forward to welcoming back a new group of MMA students in 2026, and also to a reciprocal visit to MMA by Kobe University students in 2027.
