Penn State Global staff member completes Fulbright experience in Japan

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In 2025, the Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) to Japan brought seven participants from seven different U.S. states to Japan from June 16 to 27. Anna Marshall, associate director for Asia Partnerships at Penn State Global, was one of the seven higher education grantees.

Established by the United States Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Program promotes mutual understanding between the United States and the rest of the world. For the 2024-25 academic year, Penn State has tied for second in the nation in faculty Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards and is a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Student Awards among doctoral institutions. Twelve Penn State faculty members and 10 students received Fulbright awards from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs last year.

The Fulbright IEA Program began in 1988. Penn State has been successful in this category for two years in a row, with Alexandra Persiko, director for Global Partnerships, participating in the IEA program in France in October 2024. As Persiko stated, “The Fulbright IEA experience was absolutely unique and incredibly rewarding. I had always wished to participate in a Fulbright program since I was young, and being there completely exceeded my expectations.” She added that “learning from French higher education officials and her peers on the program were some of the highlights amongst many.” 

The IEA to Japan is among several Fulbright grant categories administered by the Japan-United States Educational Commission (JUSEC) in Japan. The IEA to Japan aims to help participants develop a basic understanding of Japanese education, specifically higher education, and understand how changes in the economic, social, political and cultural contexts of Japan affect the Japanese educational system.

Together, the cohort visited six Japanese universities (Sophia University, University of Tokyo, Tsuda University, Hiroshima Shudo University, Kansai University, and Waseda University), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), explored Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Memorial Museum, learned to cook Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki, interacted with Japanese university students in various settings, and visited the Expo 2025 in Osaka.

“Thanks to the support of Penn State Global and the thoughtful guidance of JUSEC,” said Marshall, “the Fulbright visit helped me gain insight into Japanese culture and its higher education system, and build connections with the higher education professionals, government officials, and Fulbright alumni in Japan.”

Marshall said she believes that the visit not only “helps strengthen Penn State’s institutional partnerships with universities in Japan” but also “enhances my scholarship in the fields of global partnerships and Asian American Studies.”

Although the program had a busy schedule with little downtime, the Fulbrighters managed to participate in various local events — watching a baseball game, learning the traditional tea ceremony, singing karaoke, and even attending a sumo entertainment show. The group as a whole said that the interactions deepened their appreciation for Japan’s rich cultural heritage.

During the last day of the visit, each Fulbright participant was required to give a presentation of their individual projects. The session provided a venue for the participants to share their research topics, lessons learned, and findings related to the Japanese higher education. These topics ranged from mental health support in Japanese universities, case studies of American summer education abroad programs in Japan, non-profit Japanese organizations supporting student success, experiential learning opportunities for study abroad students, to Japan’s higher education engagement with the Global South.

Marshall’s project examined perspectives of global partnerships in Japanese higher education. Utilizing surveys or in-person meetings, she reached out to higher education professionals at Tohoku University, Kyoto University, Nagoya University, Osaka Metropolitan University, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Through her research, she said, she discovered various challenges facing Japanese education, numerous opportunities, potential strategies to overcome barriers, and several common threads among these institutions in their commitment to enhancing strategic partnerships and addressing pressing global challenges.

“The two-week experience provided us with an invaluable opportunity to enrich our knowledge of the Japanese educational system, gain an appreciation for the profound Japanese culture, and develop new friendships,” said Marshall. “I learned some Japanese phrases that will stay with me. Additionally, our cohort bonded as we shared our travel adventures, anecdotes and laughter throughout the journey. This experience also deepened our commitment to fostering meaningful collaboration between U.S. and Japanese institutions of higher education.”

For information on her experience, contact Marshall at awm15@psu.edu. For more information about the Fulbright Scholars program, contact Sylvester Osagie at facultyfulbright@psu.edu.