(350)BUILDING INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP VIA PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL): A CASE STUDY

摘要

Project based learning (PBL)activities organized primarily by university students initiated officialpartnerships for two municipal governments and three institutes of higher learning from Japan andLatvia. In this instance, undergraduates studying EFL and comparative culture at TokushimaUniversity in Japan were instrumental in linking the cities of Tokushima and Jelgava and in linking theiruniversity with counterparts in Jelgava and Riga. Underpinning the successful international cooperation,precursor PBL activities involved undergraduates and supporters from academic and nonacademicbackgrounds in public exhibitions of A/V materials, texts, art works and local products aswell as teaching, cooking demonstrations and musical performances. Subsequently, students workedwith the specific aim of promoting official collaboration between governments and educationalinstitutions. Results suggest that PBL can be a model for building international co-operation while, atthe same time, improving academic performance and deepening cultural understanding.