RIYADH, 6 July — A group of 18 mediapersons including two journalists from Arab News will leave for Tokyo next week to attend a month-long training course organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an agent of the Japanese government, which organizes, sponsors and promotes technical education and training. The course is organized within the framework of the “Saudi-Japanese Youth Friendship Program”.
Kuniaki Nagata, JICA resident representative, said here yesterday that “This high-profile program will contribute considerably to the mutual understanding and friendship between Saudi Arabia and Japan through exchange of views on a wide range of issues.” He also said that the Youth Friendship Program is part of JICA’s personnel training.
Media officials from the local chambers of commerce, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Islamic Affairs and journalists from local newspapers were selected by JICA to join. Journalists Raid Saud Qusti and Khaled A. M. Aben Awadh from Arab News will be part of the team. Participants will visit several Japanese media bodies, exchange views with Japanese media officials and take courses in the Japanese language and culture. The program begins on July 11 and ends on Aug. 10.
The idea of Youth Friendship Program started in 1984 by the Japanese Embassy. Since then, there has been a gradual increase in the number of countries involved and the number of young people coming to Japan.
Today, some 1700 young people from 123 countries visit Japan as part of this program every year. So far, 20,000 youth from all over the word have come to Japan since the program’s launch. Young Japanese participants chosen for the program will also benefit from the program as it will give them an opportunity to exchange views on regional and international issues as well as learn about the cultures of their guests.
Nagata said that Japan was organizing some 100 training courses for various Saudi government agencies this year. Courses given will be on computer training, electronics, clinical dentistry, intellectual property rights, consultancy, remote sensing, environmental management and petrochemicals.
