Vuong Thi Ngoc Anh

Company name /: JAPAN UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS　Kobe Sannomiya Campus
Job type /: Education
Countries & Regions /: Vietnam

Job
Description
Why
I work in Kobe
Life in Kobe
Message
From
the company

Job Description

I value instructing international students from various countries in a way that’s easy to understand

My job is to support international students at a university. The specific tasks include visa renewal procedures, guidance on applying for student certificates, and preparations for entrance exams. I believe that supporting international students is an essential job.
There are students from various countries at the university, in addition to students from my home country, Vietnam. I work being conscious of instructing international students from any country in a fair way that is easy to understand.
I hardly had any experience meeting foreigners when I first came to Japan after immediately graduating from high school. Today, I’m able to interact with people from many countries. The job is a lot of fun as I’m also able to know various countries' cultures through the interactions. My dream is to create a community where non-Japanese citizens and Japanese can increasingly get to know each other, share their lives, as well as study, and partner in various ways. I’d like to first realize it from within this university.

Why I work in Kobe

I’m thrilled that I can work at this university where I was once a student

I began to be interested in Japan when I was in elementary school. I learned about the scenery and life of Japan from Japanese manga, which is popular in Vietnam. I thought that Japan was a great country. The sound of the Japanese language and the greetings sounded so cute to me. I began to be fascinated by Japan.
When it was time for me to think about my future after graduating from high school, although I also considered going to a university in Vietnam, I decided to go to Japan because my cousin was planning to study abroad in Japan.
After graduating from high school, I first studied Japanese at a Japanese language center in Hanoi. I then came to Japan in April 2012. After arriving in Japan, I attended a Japanese language school and then entered the Japan University of Economics.
I majored in International Distribution Business at university. All the classes were in Japanese. Although it was very challenging at first, I was able to graduate from the university, receiving my teachers' support.
When I was thinking about where to work after graduating, my teacher recommended me to work as an employee at this university. The school has been so good to me as an international student. I’m thrilled that I can now support other international students studying being in a similar position I once had.

Life in Kobe

The extensive support Kobe City offers helped me give birth with a peach of mind

I believe Kobe is similar to Da Nang in Vietnam, as it has seas and mountains and a mild climate. Although there are famous tourist spots, I feel that they are not too busy and just right.
The shinkansen and the airport are also nearby, making it a convenient city for both domestic and international travel. I think there are many young people and many kind people here. Kobe City also offers extensive child-rearing support, which personally has been very helpful.
I’m married to a Vietnamese in Kobe and have children. The medical system in Kobe is well-developed, so I wasn’t worried about giving birth in Kobe. Japan has a maternity leave system for working people. This is great for women to raise children without feeling anxious.
I’d like people from overseas who are interested in coming to Japan to come to Kobe. In fact, more than 10 of my sisters and relatives have come to Kobe. I believe that there are many non-Japanese citizens in Kobe because it’s comfortable to live in not only for us, Vietnamese, but also for people from various countries.

Message

May Kobe be your second home

It would be ideal for non-Japanese citizens to engage in work related to their home countries while living in Japan. There are many opportunities to work in Kobe, as there are many employment opportunities for non-Japanese citizens.
There are people who are anxious about living and working in a foreign country for the first time. I’d like to tell them that they’ll be able to start working with peace of mind if they came to Kobe.
When I came to Japan, I had a lot of trouble collecting information about daily living. However, I now hardly have trouble in my daily life in Japan. This is because the non-Japanese community living in Kobe is substantial, and SNS offers a lot of useful daily and work information. You can find information in your own language in communities of people from different countries.
In fact, it's been nine years since I came to Japan, and I've never thought about going to Vietnam. I feel that Kobe is my second home. I work while raising children and have a fulfilling life. My wish is that Kobe will be your second home.

From the company

If you open the door to something new, the people of Kobe will offer their support

90% of our students are international students at our Kobe Sannomiya Campus. Meanwhile, classes and events were offered in Japanese by Japanese people. In such an environment, differences in the way of thinking and feelings between faculty members and staff and international students were often seen due to differences in culture and educational background.
If anything, there’s a tendency to see the Japanese way of thinking as the expected standard, and we weren’t able to offer attentive services to international students. I felt the need for foreign talent to take care of such areas and decided to hire her.
She both has the heart of a student and a non-Japanese citizen's perspective, as she’s a graduate of our school. As a result, we’ve realized smooth communications with international students, and I’m very happy that the number of Vietnamese enrollments has increased by providing explanations and follow-ups on school conditions and entrance exams that are difficult to convey in Japanese.
Even if you feel uneasy about working in a foreign country, if you take open the door to something new, the people around you will surely offer their support. There are many considerate and kind people, especially in Kobe. I’d like more and more non-Japanese citizens to come to Kobe and play an active role here.
(Secretary General　Yuji Maruyama)
JAPAN UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS　Kobe Sannomiya Campus WebSite