About AAEE

Vision

To promote student and educational exchange in the Asian region, and to nurture the youth's ability to live hand in hand with other young people of the world in an era of multicultural conviviality.

Our organization was established in 2008 with the aim of promoting student and educational exchange in Asia.

In today's diversifying society, there is a shift in the atmosphere where instead of accepting diversity from the outside within a national rule, countries are now leaping out of their boundaries and striving globally to be on a higher level in the world. AAEE aims to cultivate young minds who can challenge themselves by stepping out of their comfort zone and into the world.

Mission

AAEE aims to address common issues that transcend nations, regions, and cultures by engaging in communication with others. We work to nurture the ability of young people to think, act, and remain tolerant toward other cultures, thereby fostering creativity and action for solutions.

Philosophy

AAEE believes that "learning through exchange" involves reflecting upon oneself by using interactions with others as a mirror. Self-awareness and seld-establishments are essential in order to accept diverse others and to be a successful global citizen.

AAEE Method

AAEE presents the AAEE Method for intercultural learning; a six-step process that is important in interacting and building a connection with diverse others.

1. Attraction - Having an interest in others one is interacting with, in oneself, and in one's surroundings in general.

2. Observation - Carefully observing others, one's environment, and other important factors.

3. Interaction - Actively participating in interacting with others.

4. Collaboration - Working together harmoniously.

5. Consideration - Thinking deeply and reviewing carefully.

6. Self-reflection and Verbalization - Re-thinking about oneself after interacting with others and verbalizing the experience.

Through our projects, AAEE strives to inspire young people to experience this six-step process and gain the following qualities;

• Knowledge: To know a certain level of information in order to understand others' intentions and interests.

• Thoughtfulness: To be able to think from other people's point of view, and to be able to care for others.

• Flexibility: To set aside one's own standards when needed, and to deal with unexpected scenarios.

• Tolerance for Ambiguity: To adapt without feeling stressed in uncertain situations

• Judgment Avoidance: To temporarily set aside one's own values and empathize with the feelings of others

• Respect: To make an effort to understand the other person in the right way and open the path to collaboration.

• Dialogue: To introspect while being aware of the other person. To question one's own identity.

 

History

Activities

Student Exchange Programs

AAEE's student exchange programs are educational initiatives aimed at enhancing participants' multicultural understanding, intercultural communication skills, English language proficiency, and motivation to learn English, empowering them to become future leaders of international society. Since 2008, AAEE has been organizing international student exchange programs in various Asian countries, including Nepal, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. Recent programs, such as the Vietnam-Japan Exchange Program (VJEP) in Vietnam and the Mero Sathi Project in Nepal, have been held annually. AAEE has conducted a total of 25 programs, 9 in Vietnam and 16 in Nepal, since 2012. Beyond student exchange, AAEE has been actively involved in international cooperation projects and specific issue investigations. These initiatives encourage students from both countries to collaborate, think about global issues, build trust, and work together to address problems. For example, in Nepal, students from both countries led post-earthquake recovery efforts immediately after the earthquake. In Vietnam, discussions have focused on environmental and educational issues with an emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2018, specific issue investigations have been conducted in each exchange program, emphasizing students' critical thinking about global challenges.

 

Mero Sathi Project

The Mero Sathi Project was initiated by Japanese AAEE students after the devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015. "Mero Sathi" means "My Friend" in Nepali. Leveraging AAEE's Asian network, they quickly created support panels via social media and shared them with the world on the day of the earthquake, garnering a tremendous response. While originally an emergency project for earthquake recovery, it received strong support for its continuation as an international friendship project. By the end of 2017, it had been resumed as an international exchange program project and was widely recognized in Nepal. It has also been used as the name for international exchange programs held in Nepal.

Yagi-Koya (Goat Barns) Project 

Utilizing funds raised through the Mero Sathi Project, the Yagi-Koya Project provides goat barns and breeding goats to earthquake victims and affected areas for income generation. Families raise goats and earn profits by selling them. AAEE Nepal has established a system where 50% of the profits are directed towards supporting education in the community.

Team Mero Sathi

Team Mero Sathi (TMS) is a new project launched by AAEE in 2018 that involves visiting middle and high schools to conduct outreach classes. As part of its awareness-raising activities, TMS aims to pass on insights and discoveries gained through direct experiences by lecturers who have participated in AAEE's international student exchange programs. This project is intended to benefit middle and high school students as they embark on journeys into the wider world. The objectives of TMS classes are:

1. Expand the breadth of diversity awareness and recognize its importance.

2. Find value in interacting with people of different languages and cultures.

3. Develop an awareness of one's existence in relation to others or others' presence.

 

A.A.E.E. NEPAL

A government-certified company based in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, established in 2016. Here is a brief explanation of its establishment.

Prof. Seki, our president, has been engaged in student exchange activities and educational support activities in Nepal since 2008. Among these activities, the most challenging issue was the outflow of talented young Nepali talent to foreign countries. In Nepal, a developing country, employment opportunities are overwhelmingly scarce, and many highly motivated university students are unable to find employment after graduation. As a result, students are constantly seeking opportunities for employment abroad.

In 2015, a highly enthusiastic Nepalese university professor, who had also served as the Attorney General, deeply impressed President Seki with his passionate conviction that "we must somehow keep talented individuals in Nepal to contribute to the country's development; otherwise, this country will never progress." Inspired by this, President Seki wanted to make a difference, and this became the catalyst for establishing the company. The idea was born to create a place where Nepali students could work domestically for the development of their own education. Since then, careful preparations were made, and in November 2016, the company finally received government approval. The main business activities include analyzing and proposing solutions to various issues in the field of education, primarily in Nepal, collaborating with foreign educational researchers interested in Nepal's education issues, supporting students, and organizing student events. The representative, Mr. Sharad Kumar Sharma, is a former student of that professor. He is a talented individual with a track record of receiving awards at numerous international conferences. Despite this, he has taken the bar exam in Nepal and is striving for the country's development. Other members of A.A.E.E. NEPAL are primarily young people. While most of the funds necessary for establishing the company were provided by President Seki personally, we hope to support the self-help efforts of Nepali staff in the future to ensure the company's continued operation.