Through three interviews, this series explores the changes and growth of student during her study abroad experience. Ms. Yumi Sato majoring in peace studies, has just completed a one-year exchange program at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
In this final interview, we asked her to reflect on her study abroad experience as a whole, as well as her future plans.

My Final Spring Semester: A Culmination of Learning and Insight

While continuing with my research on nuclear issues, in the new semester that began in April, I took two courses relating to American politics and international relations, as well as two courses on nature and environmental issues in Germany. When talking to friends in Germany, the term "nuclear" does not generally bring to mind nuclear weapons, but instead tends to be linked to the topic of nuclear energy. While experiencing this gap in perception between Germany and Japan, I also became more interested in energy and environmental issues, which are important topics related to nuclear issues. On the language side, I have become accustomed to the complex German grammar and am able to speak more smoothly now as a result of having lived in Germany for one year. I feel confident of my progress since having a conversation in German on the phone is no longer a problem for me now, although I struggled with it at the beginning of my study abroad program. Moreover, as many European students speak English fluently as their second language, there is plenty of opportunity for me to speak English in my dormitory. Through the discussions I held with them, my desire to be able to give my opinion in English motivated me daily. My writing skills also improved as a result of the classes which I took. For my end-of-semester assignment, I wrote a fourteen-page report in English, which gave me great confidence.

Relativizing Oneself through International Dialogue

I actively participated in events outside my classes and had the opportunity to engage with diverse opinions on nuclear issues. Two important events that I participated in were the Sustainability Days event organized by Freie Universität Berlin as well as the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which was held in Vienna. I was involved in the management of the Sustainability Days event and spent two months with members of the student association preparing for it. On the actual day of the event, I interviewed the people who visited our booth to find out their thoughts on the connection between nuclear weapons and SDGs while we folded together senbazuru (one thousand origami cranes) that symbolize peace. The Preparatory Committee for NPT was attended by representatives from countries that are working toward achieving the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and it provided me with an important opportunity to witness the exchange of opinions. Although the dialogue taking place was between people who shared the same aims, there was still a diverse range of opinions. Each participant had their own viewpoint, such as individuals whose countries are under the nuclear umbrella and those whose countries do not belong to it, those whose countries have experienced the explosion of a nuclear weapon and those from countries which haven't.

The opportunity to witness diverse voices and engage in dialogue with my friends has enabled me to relativize nuclear issues and my awareness of the issues surrounding Hiroshima within the context of an international community, as well as broaden my perspective. First and foremost, I realized that it is not just Hiroshima that is special. In addition to Nagasaki, there are also sites where nuclear tests have taken place, and if we include these areas, there are multiple nuclear weapon explosion sites in the world. I became aware once again that Hiroshima is only one of these sites and that there are people similarly involved all over the world. Moreover, there are diverse viewpoints on the future path regarding nuclear issues, and there is no absolute correct answer. Although I am against the use of nuclear weapons, there are people who value its utility. My study abroad experience has enabled me to grow as an individual, so instead of asserting that the elimination of nuclear weapons is the only correct path forward, I can now consider it as just one among many viewpoints. Furthermore, I hope that I can continue to develop my communication skills so that I do not end up enforcing my opinion onto others, along with enhancing my ability to listen to a wide range of perspectives.

During the long study breaks, I traveled to various places in Europe. One of my aims for studying abroad was to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, and I will never forget the heartbreaking atmosphere that I felt throughout my body when I visited the place. Although I went there in Spring, it felt like Winter, almost as if the cold and sorrow would continue eternally. Passing on to the next generation these painful memories is something that Japan, as a nation that has experienced the explosion of a nuclear bomb, shares with Poland, and moreover, Poland has worked in collaboration with its former enemy, Germany, to create a textbook as part of its history education seeking reconciliation. The trip made me realize that there are many things we can learn from this process of reconciliation.

A Deepening Dedication Toward Nuclear Issues and My Senior Thesis, and Moreover, Looking Toward the Future

When studying abroad, you meet many people with different viewpoints and backgrounds. Experiencing these differences has provided me with the basis to reexamine my own path and viewpoints, which in turn has led me to finding my future career. I have chosen the path to carry out research specifically on nuclear issues at a graduate school overseas. I have focused on nuclear issues since when I was living in Hiroshima, but through studying liberal arts at ICU and studying abroad in Germany, my focus is more concrete and firm. In preparation for my future research, the theme for my senior thesis at ICU will be NATO's nuclear sharing. I plan to examine the differences between Germany, a non-nuclear power that shares nuclear weapons with the United States, and Japan, similarly, a non-nuclear power that does not share nuclear weapons with the United States. Utilizing my Japanese background and experience of studying in Germany for one year, I intend to pursue a multi-faceted approach that will include history, politics, international relations, culture, and public awareness. With nuclear sharing as my main theme, I will need to analyze the possession of nuclear weapons from a theoretical standpoint. I hope that delving into the process involved in possessing nuclear weapons will lead to discussions on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and disarmament.
Although I encountered some difficulties while preparing for my application to graduate school, I was able to continue persevering since I had made my decision through a process of deep self-reflection.
As a result, I was able to get a place at the graduate school of my choice, and I will be entering the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS*) in the United States next September, where I will be researching specifically on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

*MIIS: Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
The MIIS Accelerated Entry Program is a study abroad program based on the student exchange agreement between Middlebury College and ICU. Students study in the master's program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), and along with the undergraduate program at ICU, they work towards obtaining a bachelor's degree from ICU and a master's degree from MIIS in approximately five years.

My ultimate goal is the attainment of a world that does not use nuclear weapons. First of all, I believe that it is necessary to create an international arena for dialogue on nuclear issues. I believe that exchanging opinions on an equal footing between people for and against abolishing nuclear weapons is the first step towards resolving the nuclear issue. I am also considering a career in an international organization as the optimal method for broadly capturing both small and loud voices. I intend to explore a realistic path that each side finds acceptable through dialogue, and actively participate toward achieving a world where everyone can live in peace.