Japanese language speech contest: JNU, MOSAI, DU students sweep the show
NEW DELHI. The Japanese language students of the Centre for Japanese Studies, JNU, MOSAI Institute of Japanese Language and Department of East Asian Studies, Delhi University (DU) emerged winners of the top three positions at the 32nd North Zone Japanese Language Speech Contest held at the JNU campus New Delhi on October 19.
JNU students wept the show by winning three out of six top positions in the contest. The JNU students were ranked first and second in junior category while the third position in the senior category too went to JNU only.
Sangte from MOSAI and Varsha Anuhgraha from JNU were declared first while Nishtha Ahuja from DU and Shivangi from JNU remained runners up in the senior and junior categories respectively.
Astha Banerjee from JNU in the senior category and Minakshi Dhingra from MOSAI in junior category were declared in the 3rd position.
The winners will be now participating in the final contest to be held sometime later this year.
Toshihide Ando, the Minister and Deputy Chief of the Mission, Japan Embassy, New Delhi gave away the awards to the winning students.
Toshihide Ando said that the students learning the Japanese language not only have a bright future in terms of their career growth as Japanese companies look for human resources from India who can speak the Japanese language and understand Japanese culture.
“This way these students become the bridge and contribute to the India-Japan relationship. Also, the number of Japanese companies in India is increasing very fast to 1441 in 2018. Also the governments of both countries have agreed to train 1000 Japanese language teachers, and these students can become teachers and teach this language to the future generations
A total of 22 students from across government-run, non-government and private institutions teaching Japanese language in northern India participated in the contest organized by Mombusho Scholars Association of India (MOSAI).
The students from Doon University, NEC Japanese Language Academy, Kizoku Japanese Language Institute, Federation of Aots Alumni Association of India and Nihongo Education Services also took part in the contest.
The high-level jury headed by Ms. Etsuko Kobayashi, Vice-Principal, Japanese School, New Delhi consisted of Ms. Mizuho Hayakawa, Counsellor (PR and Culture), Japan Embassy in India; Kazuyuki Shiraishi and Aki Jomen Bhardwaj from Japanese Residents Association and Noguchi Kousuke from Japan Foundation.
Ms. Etsuko Kobayashi delivered tips to the students on how to make good speeches in the Japanese language.
Shunsuke Kitamura, Director, Corporate Group Head, Aisa & Oceania Corporate Unit, Sumitomo Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. was also present during the contest. Sumitomo Corporation and Embassy of Japan in New Delhi have extended their support to the 32nd North Zone Japanese Language Speech Contest.
Junichi Arima, Japanese Language Advisor, Japan Foundation, New Delhi and Takahashi Fumei, Japanese language and culture expert asked the participants questions related to the subjects of their speeches.
Prof. P. A. George, Chairperson of Centre for Japanese Studies, JNU welcomed the jury members and others to the contest.
Prof. Ashok Kumar Chawla, Advisor (Japan), East Asia Division, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Prof. Manjushree Chauhan coordinated the event.
Dr. Ashok Jain, chairman, MOSAI said it was for the first time that even the privately run institutions teaching Japanese language were allowed to participate in the Japanese Language Speech Contest so that more students could get the opportunity to participate in the contest. Earlier only the government and non-profit organisation–run institutions were invited to nominate their students.
“This Japanese language contest contributes to the building blocks that bind Japan and India together. Both the countries can have trade, economic cooperation, and strategic partnerships but behind all this the bricks are human resources. We have been holding this contest for the last 31 years,” said Dr. Jain.
MOSAI started All India Japanese Language Speech Contest in 1985 to encourage students to express spontaneously their own thoughts in the Japanese Language.
It is not a memory test of a written speech. Speeches on Religious or Political subjects are not allowed. Candidates are nominated by a Japanese language teaching organization in junior and senior categories with the eligible age limit of 18-35.
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