Building from two successful nonprofit management training programs, Temple University Harrisburg and Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) are joining forces to offer a special program on International Collaboration on Nonprofit/ NGO Management (ICNM-1). This collaborative program offered in January and June of 2015 aims to provide international training and leadership development to both nonprofit professionals and community members interested in the work of nonprofits in the U.S. and Japan. This course is being supported by a grant from the United States-Japan Foundation (The course will be taught in English).
“Blending face-to-face contact with technology, the collaboration between the two campuses provides a unique learning experience for our students,” said Dr. Amber Stephenson, Director and Senior Research Associate for the Nonprofit Evaluation Services and Training (NEST) program at Temple University Harrisburg. Each course will offer lectures given by professionals in the field — some from Japan and some from the United States — on topics such as current issues in development, leadership, disaster management, program management and human resources.
The collaborative courses will use the WebEx online platform to allow students from both locations to see and interact with one another. Taking the time differential into consideration, students at TUJ will login into the course held in the morning, while Temple University Harrisburg students will participate in the same class in the evening time. “The real-time interaction between experts in the nonprofit/NGO sector and participants from various backgrounds promises to foster intellectual exchange as well as a spirit of global cooperation while generating some thought-provoking and interesting classroom discussions,” said Eugenia Medrano, director of Continuing Education at TUJ.
Sarajean Rossitto, Nonprofit NGO Program and Organizational Development Consultant, will be the lead facilitator in the Tokyo program and says, “I hope this program will widen the net of persons not just interested in nonprofit NGOs in Japan but also enable course participants to be part of the Japanese nonprofit NGO community by getting involved in the issues they care about. While we are glad if some persons with NGO experience take part in the class, experience is not required. We really want to bring together a community of people with the motivation to learn and the desire to get involved.”
TUJ Lead Facilitator – Sarajean Rossitto
Tokyo-based nonprofit NGO consultant, facilitates workshops, seminars and projects aimed at developing skills, organizational capacity, understanding of global issues and effective partnerships. Before working independently, Sarajean spent four years coordinating the bilateral exchange of nonprofit professionals between the U.S. and Japan for Japan-U.S. Community Education & Exchange (JUCEE). She also worked for six years with the Tokyo YMCA. Sarajean holds a Columbia University Masters of International Affairs degree with a focus on human rights in East Asia and an undergraduate degree in sociology.
About Temple University Japan Campus
Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) is a branch campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Founded in 1982 in Tokyo, TUJ is the oldest and largest foreign university in Japan. It is also the first educational institution to be officially recognized as a Foreign University, Japan Campus by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Continuing Education at TUJ offers approximately 300 courses in a wide variety of subjects ranging from art and culture —including photography, interior design, and wine tasting— to languages, business management, education, and IT in English.
About Temple University Harrisburg
Temple University Harrisburg, located in central Pennsylvania, is a leading higher education and professional development center for social work, health care, public education, public policy and public service. The campus location in the capital region of Pennsylvania provides the opportunity to share Temple’s commitment to social justice, innovative research and community service with legislative, governmental decision makers and the public. Temple University Harrisburg strives to support the university’s role in the public discourse on social and policy issues through the provision of excellent educational programs, professional development opportunities, public policy discussion, innovative research and community engagement.