Padnos International Center  


Padnos International Center
130 Lake Ontario Hall
Allendale, MI 49401
Phone: 616-331-3898
Fax: 616-331-3899
pic@gvsu.edu

Yuichi Kondo

Alum helps launch Japan exchange

When Yuichi Kondo first came to Grand Valley State University from Japan some 30 years ago on an exchange program, he loved it so much that he transferred to Grand Valley to complete his degree. Now, he is the associate dean of academic affairs at Reisumeikan Asia-Pacific University (APU), in Beppu, Japan. He returned to his alma mater to help launch a new exchange program between the two institutions.

Kondo studied at Grand Valley as part of a long-standing student exchange agreement with International Christian University near Tokyo. He transferred to Grand Valley in Fall 1978, and earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences in 1979. He earned master’s and doctorate degrees in speech communication from the University of Minnesota.

“Coming to Grand Valley transformed my life. My career in international education started with my experience at here,” Kondo said. “Without coming to Grand Valley, I wouldn’t have pursued my graduate work at the University of Minnesota.”

That’s the kind of transformative experience Kondo hopes to provide students at his institution. Grand Valley and APU signed a memorandum of understanding to launch what is hoped will become a student-for-student exchange partnership.

When Kondo returned to campus having been gone for three decades, it was hard for him to find familiar sights from his time in Allendale. But he said the warmth and friendliness was unmistakable.

“Because of his own experience with Grand Valley’s safety, charm and welcoming atmosphere, I know that it is the perfect kind of place for APU’s undergraduates to experience the world. And I’m sure that Grand Valley students would feel the same way about APU.”

By Brian J. Bowe
  Last Modified Date: December 22, 2008
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