As part of ICU's staff training, the Overseas Training Report Session for 2023 was held at the Othmer Library on January 23, 2024, and was attended by approximately 35 staff members. So far, 14 staff members have utilized the funding provided by the Top Global University Project to carry out overseas training, and a total of six report sessions have been held.

ICU provides the opportunity for its staff to visit overseas universities and exchange ideas with other people related in their area with the aim of strengthening their international competitiveness, as well as increasing their expertise in cross-cultural communication and work task, and contributing to university management based on a global perspective.

In this report session, two ICU staff members presented reports on their overseas training, which took place in 2023.

The first report, presented by the staff in charge of international students at the Student Services Division, was based on the staff's participation at the International Staff Training Week, organized by Linnaeus University, as well as their visit to Freie Universität Berlin during May 22-31, 2023.

The International Staff Training Week provided a workshop on the theme of improving international competencies among staff in order to provide a diverse and inclusive educational environment. The report mentioned how diversity management is regarded as a key factor for enabling highly diverse team members to achieve more than average results, and how important it is for a university such as ICU to maintain its diverse educational environment through having its faculty and staff sustainably improve their international competencies. Furthermore, the report introduced approaches regarding the role of students who are deeply involved in university management, and how providing information to students in an appropriate way can reduce student anxiety. As a result, ICU has made improvements such as reviewing the method of providing information to September entrants. The report subsequently mentioned the staff's visit to the Freie Universität Berlin and referred to a case study introducing the university's family-friendly educational environment, which allows students with families to balance their family life and academic studies. The report ended by stating the different approaches between countries of the European Union and Japan regarding financial assistance methods to students.

Following on, the staff in charge of providing support for study abroad at the Global Engagement Division gave a report on their participation at the International Staff Week, co-organized by the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, as well as their visit to Tilburg University in the Netherlands, during September 16-27, 2023. The International Staff Week specializes in providing training for staff working in international education, and the program's theme was "The dynamic world of study abroad." ICU was the only university from Japan to participate in the program. The report proposed how the International Office should adapt its support towards students in a situation where the technology, environment, and cultural background surrounding students are constantly changing. It also mentioned how disseminating the idea of a sustainable and inclusive study abroad and gaining knowledge of factors relating to study abroad provide a wider perspective and enable a deeper understanding of the environment surrounding international education. 

Finally, the question-and-answer session provided the opportunity for an active exchange of ideas and reconfirmed things already achieved at ICU. The importance of sharing what participants have learned through their training was acknowledged.

Linnaeus University, Freie Universität Berlin, University of Edinburgh, and Tilburg University are all partner universities with ICU.

ICU will consider the opportunity of sending its staff to diverse regions beyond 2024 and plans to continue implementing overseas training.